Sam Harris

How can any sane muslim ‘defend’ their holy book, given the immense evidence against the ‘goodness’ of the God, of his teachings, and his methods?

This blogger (http://blog.proudislam.com/2011/03/sam-harriss-version-of-quran.html) suggests the only way anyone can critique Islam is by reading it in Arabic.  And he is not alone.  At least 3 muslim friends of mine are taking weekend classes in Arabic so they can read the holy book in Arabic, and not the translated versions that they read now.

Really?  So all we need now is one Arabic speaking guy spilling the beans?

I’m sure reading anything in its original language is preferred, but of course that’s nothing to say about what one loses when they try to read something in a language that is not their native tongue.  Either way, its just another way to excuse the actual contents of that book.

I agree we sane nd moral people cannot defend islam or its prophet…after all was it not thier pensioner prophet who sexually ogled up a six year old girl and then forced her to marry him when she only nine years old…We all know that this old age pensioner was a Pedophile….Yes the Prophet Mahoond was a pedo…

I have never had much interest in the science-religion debate feeling that people can think and believe however they please. But I would very much like to spread the word far and wide about what Islamic men do to women who have been raped. I have been a volunteer rape crises counselor for many years and I maintain a date rape awareness blog so I have seen some pretty horrendous stories. But this story about a town of Muslim men beating a 14 year old girl to death because she was raped is so far past “religious tolerance” that I just want to puke. I want to throw all Muslim men in the fire with their ugly Koran.  I hate the animals who do this: http://sleepingbeautyslavery.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/sharia-justice-where-rape-victims-are-punished-and-killed/

To some extent, although not to the same degree, Christianity has a similar attitude. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek. In Seminary I studied both. There was a perspective that you really couldn’t understand it unless you knew and could read the original language. Although unless you are very, very familiar with it and it’s nuances just being able to pick your way through it is hardly enough.

I have heard that in the Muslim world there is an elitist attitude held by those who are Arabic and speak Arabic. As for the Qu’ran it sounds like just another way to deflect criticism. Unless you can read it in the original you can’t truly understand it and so you can’t criticize it.

mickyg - 15 March 2011 08:00 PM

How can any sane muslim ‘defend’ their holy book, given the immense evidence against the ‘goodness’ of the God, of his teachings, and his methods?

This blogger (http://blog.proudislam.com/2011/03/sam-harriss-version-of-quran.html) suggests the only way anyone can critique Islam is by reading it in Arabic.  And he is not alone.  At least 3 muslim friends of mine are taking weekend classes in Arabic so they can read the holy book in Arabic, and not the translated versions that they read now.

Really?  So all we need now is one Arabic speaking guy spilling the beans?

it is a far fetched idea - should a Muslim defend their holy book?

as for me, I read it, understands it and apply it to my daily lives.

simple…why do I need to defend it?

if you dont understand me, why not just ask politely rather than provoke me from getting into an endless argument with you?