Muslim Outrage: Publisher Arrested Over New Version Of Koran
BBC News, Kabul:
The distributor of a new translation of the Koran has been arrested after complaints from religious scholars that the new edition was un-Islamic.
Former journalist Ghows Zalmay is also the spokesman for Afghanistan’s attorney general.
He was arrested on the border on Sunday while trying to flee into Pakistan.
Demonstrators protested in two Afghan provinces against the new translation of the Koran into Dari, one of Afghanistan’s two official languages.
Religious scholars are outraged at the new edition of the Muslim holy book.
They say that it is un-Islamic, that it misinterprets verses about alcohol, begging, homosexuality and adultery.
They also complain that it does not contain the original version in Arabic as a parallel text for comparison.
Both houses of the Afghan parliament have held emergency debates.
Senators have called for Mr Zalmay and the translator, himself a mullah, to be punished.
One said Mr Zalmay was “worse than Salman Rushdie”, whose book, The Satanic Verses, caused widespread outrage in the Islamic world.
Another said Mr Zalmay was under the protection of a foreign security company.
In the northern city of Taloqan 1,500 university students took to the streets in protest, while in the south-east province of Nimruz 1,000 local people, including several mullahs, took part in a demonstration.
The Afghan constitution enshrines freedom of expression, but for many Afghans that freedom has clear limits and they do not include making interpretive translations of the Koran.
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This is one of the dumbest things I have heard of. Christians stopped complaining about bible translations thousands of years ago. If they want to move into modern times, they must realize that not evry muslim speaks arabic.
November 5th, 2007 at 3:27 amEverything that ain’t Islam is un-Islamic to them.
November 5th, 2007 at 3:48 amGood Lord. Theyre already free people! Why do they insist on locking themselves up in the past? Geez. I hope someone stands up for this dude.
November 5th, 2007 at 4:21 amIt is an issue of control. Whose going to define its parameters and whose going to be the beneficiary of its results. Anyone who thinks that the Koran has never gone through revisions throughout the years doesn’t understand the history of the Koran or Islam. There are currently several different versions running around, the difference is in how they are published. Much like the Roman Catholic Church used to limit publishings of the Bible to only Latin, these mullahs/imams want the Koran only published in classical Arabic. A language that, similar to Latin at the time, is not spoken by a majority of the religion’s followers and is therefore easily adapted to the desires of the ones controlling it’s translation. That doesn’t even take into consideration the fact that the Koran, much like the New Testaments, were not written until after the death of the “prophet” and that there are stark differences between what is taught now (courtesy of editorializing by the 11 imams) compared to what was professed as Muhammed returned to the Pagan states of Mecca and Medina. Any Muslim seeking to reduce the control of the Wahabi mullahs needs to be given protection and promotion. They are in dire need of their own Martin Luther.
November 5th, 2007 at 6:17 amThe largest Muslim country in the world is Indonesia…and they do not speak classic Arabic. Only about 25% of the Islamic world understands classical Arabic. So what’s the beef? Even if there was a classic Arabic concordance in this Koran..hardly anyone would be able to read it…much less interpret it.
If the guy watered down some passages to make them less violent, then good for him…but he’s a walking dead man.
These people are living in the 7th Century. The only way to reason with them is with overwheming firepower.
Reason with them? You can reason with a dog or a small child…but not with barbarians. Run dude…come to America.
November 5th, 2007 at 7:03 am“Another said Mr Zalmay was under the protection of a foreign security company.”
I just finished “Better To Beg Forgiveness…”
Great novel about contractors AKA mercenaries in the future, sticking by their principal (and principles) when the government abandons him. I doubt many libtards will like it. Hope the poor bastards get out of it with their heads still attatched.
November 5th, 2007 at 7:12 amMindy
They don’t want to move into the modern world–women will be respected, and killing in the name of religion will be looked down upon. NO, they have no desire to move into modern times at all.
November 5th, 2007 at 7:19 amExactly right Dan and shortfuse. While moderates like Mr. Zalmay may need to be protected, the best way to do that is by violently terminating the 7th century barbarians.
Wouldn’t we all love to hear the news reporting that such-and-such mullah or imam or Mr. Ahmadoinjihad was conveniently struck down by a well placed 6.5 Grendel or 33,000 lb. bunker buster.
Talk about getting Brian Williams’ or Katie’s panties in a bunch!
November 5th, 2007 at 8:28 amI wonder if they’ll be flushing them down the toilet?
November 5th, 2007 at 9:51 amMuslim outrage…
November 5th, 2007 at 10:08 amThis is the backwardness and lack of reason in their culture. They just don’t believe in freedom of thought, let alone freedom of expression, let alone basic freedom. To them, you are born a slave of whatever person is in charge at the time, and die a slave.
November 5th, 2007 at 10:30 amTranslation can vary widely on ancient texts like this. You can come up with totaly different interpretations of key pieces of text. I think many christians would be up in arms if a translation came out with totally different views on homosexuality and adultery. Those are big issues. Getting Muslims to reject terrorism is one thing, re-writing the Koran is just not going to fly. If we really want to re-write the koran the only way to do that is with 50 or so nukes.
November 5th, 2007 at 10:59 amIn Islam, the Koran is believed to be direct revelation from God, not translated or revealed by anyone. The divine language (in the Muslim faith) is Arabic. So whenever it is translated to any other language, that translation is thought my Muslims to be out of step with the original and a heresy. Dan, you’re about half on with the Arabic language. Koranic Arabic (what is written in the Koran) is barely spoken anymore, if at all. There a several main dialects of Arabic, but not a standard, that depend on the region (from Morocco to Lebanon to Iraq to Indonesia, it’s all different). Modern Standard Arabic is the intellectual’s version of the language, what you would seen in Arab newspapers or in the ticker on Al Jazeera, but it is not spoken. Muslims would only learn enough Koranic Arabic to be able to read and memorize the Koran, so you’re right, Dan, that little interpretation would be going on. But, in-directally, that is much of the aim of Islam. Muslims believe that the Koran is the last revelation from God, meaning there’s nothing left to interpret, only actions to be carried out. As a result, translating it would be impossible in the eyes of Muslims.
Regardless of why they don’t translate it, this whole thing is just plain stupid. It’s things like this that re-affirm to the West notions of that whole region’s close-mindedness.
November 5th, 2007 at 11:03 am“…It’s things like this that re-affirm to the West notions of that whole region’s close-mindedness.”
Well then they should keep it up because ‘the west’ hasn’t completely *gotten it* yet.
November 5th, 2007 at 11:35 amIn fact, it’s OK with me if they kill each other over it. The only ones I feel any sympathy for is the young kids that are raised in that quagmire their parents call a theology.
Muslims Against Sharia condemn Afghan parliament and law enforcement agency responsible for the arrest of Ghows Zalmay for the new translation of the Koran into Dari, and demand his immediate release.
The Afghan constitution enshrines freedom of expression, and Mr. Zalmay’s arrest is unconstitutional.
Muslims Against Sharia request that NATO commanders and the U.S. State Department diplomats intervene on behalf of Mr. Zalmay and secure his immediate release.
More than seven hundred coalition troops gave their lives so the people of Afghanistan could enjoy Freedom and Democracy, not to be thrown in jail for expressing their religious views.
Original post
November 5th, 2007 at 10:06 pm