True Lies

Before marriage a close friend of mine dressed as she liked; in short skirts or jeans or whatever she felt comfortable in. Her parents too were liberal and I think a dress code would be brought into picture only if her eccentric grandmother visited.

Muslims proclaim that Islam is the only true faith. Do you know Christianity also claims to be the one true faith? :)
A person quoted on a writers’ forum about his friend:
“I have a Saudi colleague who studied and worked in US. He had a gala life, with multiple sexual partners, drink, partying and the rest that the ‘decadent’ west offers. After returning to Saudi he married and now prohibits his wife to go out anywhere without a burkha and to talk to any men. He has tried often to convince me to have many wives, because women are inferior and objects. And he an MS in chemical engineering from Purdue.”
I'd say that would be typical egoistical, chauvinistic behaviour. He wants to have his way that’s all.
I don’t think it is anything to do with religion, though they do like to blame it on religion. It is just an escape route, to justify their behaviour.

This same friend of mine is now married to her boyfriend, also a Muslim. While they were dating he had no problems with the kind of clothes she wore. It was just that she was so pretty that he wanted to show her off to his friends.
Once they got married he started talking about religion and how Islam did not allow women to wear revealing clothes. Of course just before the wedding he tried to even force the Burkha on her but she threatened to call off the wedding, that's when he conceded.
I think this is just chauvinistic behaviour being blamed on religion.

Talking about fundamentalism, it probably works in strange ways and can be sparked even by someone like you and I.
Years ago there was an incident about four nuns being raped. Two of us friends were discussing the incident. My friend questioned why the Christian missionaries had to go and convert all people to Christianity. I agree, no religion should force itself on another.
Then she said something that shocked me, "Those nuns deserved what they got. What right has she to convert a Hindu to Christianity?" I lost all respect for her that minute. Maybe she was being a fundamentalist, but a crime such as rape cannot be justified there, and that too being a woman.

In many cases I think religion is taken advantage of and that is what is sad.
I used to go to Church every Sunday, for Mama's sake. Just so that she was convinced that I wasn’t an atheist. :)
I would listen to the padre's sermon with intent. No offence to other padres but this particular one who I would listen to every Sunday spoke bullshit.
One Sunday, and this was during election time, he had the gall to mention in his sermon that we should vote for Congress and not the BJP. For want of not being a public nuisance I shut my trap, I went looking for him after the mass but he seemed to have disappeared.
Another Sunday I go to church and this same chap is serving mass. This time during his sermon he talks about the Hindu faith and how Hindus worship multiple Gods. This man who cannot explain the Holy Trinity, whose faith has 15 mysteries (Wikipedia talks about an additional five called the luminous mysteries. Gosh it has been so long!) has no right whatsoever to question how another religion functions or works.

For me religion is to live a way of life that is not detrimental to anybody. Do your good deed for the day (yeah, convent education does that to you), it will make you happy.
Isn't that why the concept of religion was brought into existence? To create a fear of an unknown force, so that people lived a disciplined life and righteous life.
It is indeed sad that sometimes people take extreme actions in the name of faith and religion.