What is the first word that comes in your mind when hearing the word ISLAM?

[FordPrefect]

For me Karen Armstrong… I have a book by her called Islam that I want to read but it is a few down in the reading list.

[Testy]

*Originally posted by Windwalker *
**hehe, I think you missed my point entirely. I was trying to show exactly that. The media will call people how they like to be called, as they really can’t discriminate between “legitimate” people acting in the name of Islam (or Christianity, or whatever) and non-legitimate people. This is to counter Aldebarran’s notion that it is a sign of either journalistic bias or ineptitude… **

OK, gotcha. Thanks. I suppose the media could report every outrage perpetrated by these guys with a preface of “these people who call themselves Islamic just bombed/killed/whatever . . .” Possibly they could make them take a test first. S

As far as Aledebaran’s claims of bias and ineptitude, I get much the same attitude here in Saudi. Likewise the claims that anyone committing terrorist acts couldn’t possibly be Islamic therefore there are no Islamic terrorists. The locals can’t figure out why the US is upset with them so any negative report in the press must be “Islam-bashing,” “Saudi bashing,” or some devious plot by the CIA.
Even mentioning the 9/11 suicide bombers is a bad thing here as the immediate assumption is that you hate all Moslems and/or Arabs.

Regards

Testy

[Alan_Owes_Bess]

gum

How could you possibly have managed to find 72 white raisins as the reward for the faithful in the Koran?

I have heard about some academic twerps who speculated that the verses describing a Paradise populated with houris in the Koran were mistranslations. I believe that’s a real stretch and those academics live in another dimension

Some of the relevant verses from the Koran are as follows (and there is no way that 72 raisins could possibly be referred to, no matter how clumsy the mistranslation):

Koran 78:31
As for the righteous, they shall surely triumph. Theirs shall be gardens and vineyards, and high- bosomed virgins for companions: a truly overflowing cup.

Koran 37:40-48
…They will sit with bashful, dark-eyed virgins, as chaste as the sheltered eggs of ostriches.

Koran 44:51-55
…Yes and We shall wed them to dark-eyed houris.

Koran 52:17-20
…They shall recline on couches ranged in rows. To dark-eyed houris we shall wed them…

Koran 55:56-57
In them will be bashful virgins neither man nor Jinn will have touched before.Then which of the favours of your Lord will you deny ?"

Koran 55:57-58
Virgins as fair as corals and rubies. Then which of the favours of your Lord will you deny ?"

Koran 56:7-40
…We created the houris (the beautiful women) and made them virgins, loving companions for those on the right hand… "

Koran 55:70-77
"In each there shall be virgins chaste and fair… Dark eyed virgins sheltered in their tents whom neither man nor Jin will have touched before…

Well, that’s much more exciting than a small bowl of raisins, isn’t it. I think I’ll go take a cold shower now.

I might just go ahead and convert. Bess can go eat raisins if she wants.

[gum]

You mean you’ve never heard of high bosomed, bashful, raisins - living in a tent and reclining on couches?

Oh, they are dark-eyed and no man has touched them before. I find that last bit comforting. Raisinbread is okay, but I wouldn’t want any, if someone else had chewed on the raisins before.

[qwanderer]

First word: Art. Gorgeous art.

The interlocking mosaics that represent how each tiny piece of the world fits together to form the infinite whole that is the world, and the flowers to remind people of the cycle of life which will go on, and the beautiful script that decorates their art with passages from the Koran. It sort of gives you hope for the future.

Just like when I think about Christianity, I don’t think of the Inquisition or of the many groups of fanatics who perpetrated awful crimes in the name of their religion. Time and reform can heal many things.