To Oliver: Real freedom of soul will come once no soul is bound to pay Interest

Submitted by Syed Rafey Husain (Pakistan), Jul 16, 2007 at 04:00

"Syed, it is obvious that you have never tasted freedom or been able to exercise your own free will, which is why you changed the subject to usury".

Dear Oliver, I haven't changed the subject and why would I. What I feel there is a deep connection between usury/interest to food to human body to human soul. Sorry if you felt that way.

"There are laws in the West to protect consumers from such practices and also competition in the free marketplace keeps interest rates at relatively low levels".

Interest is prohibited in Islam, Christianity and Judaism. I hope you never consider rates being low or high of prohibited thing. It is prohibited.

"But why should poor muslems have to worry about ‘interest' when your society doesn't allow it in the first place and is supposed to provide for the poor from the zakat or poor tax".

Not only Muslims but Chiristians and Jews should be worried about interest. Interest is prohibited in Islam as well as in Christianity and Judaism also. But all Islamic countries have banking system in place and they are involved in prohibited interest based economics.

And system of Zakaat will not show benefits unless a salaried person is not taxed monthly.

"Perhaps I'm wrong about that – perhaps the zakat in only for the mullahs and imams".

Dear Oliver, Zakaat is deducted yearly (2.5%) from the total amount if it exceeds to certain per-defined limits. It is mandatory for every Mulsim that exceeds a certain per-defined saving limits.

"Or perhaps you do not have a free marketplace where competition can help eliminate such practices as usury".

Interest is prohibited in Islam, Christianity and Judaism. I hope you never consider free marketplace to eliminate interest or usury. It is simply prohibited to take additional amount on any kind of loan or credit.

Syed Rafey Husain

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