Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!crackers!m2c!wpi.WPI.EDU!shari
From: mayne@sun10.scri.fsu.edu (William (Bill) Mayne)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Some questions from an infidel :-)
Message-ID: <1990Oct30.161211.7903@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 30 Oct 90 16:12:11 GMT
Sender: shari@wpi.WPI.EDU (Shari Deiana VanderSpek)
Organization: SCRI, Florida State University
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Approved: shari@wpi.wpi.edu


As my subject line indicates I am not a Moslem, nor am I interested
in being convinced or converted. But I have subscribed to this news
group because I would like to understand more. I may therefore be
posting more questions as time goes on. I hope this is appropriate.
Here are some starters, one timely and one general:

(1) How about some comments on the interview with Salmon Rushdie (sp?)
on "60 Minutes" last Sunday? In particular, how do net.moslems feel
about the death sentence passed on Rushdie? I have not read his book.
Reviews didn't convince me it was the kind of thing I wanted to spend
time reading. So I don't know first hand just how negative it was toward
Islam. I note that Rushdie says one of the main charges, that he portrays
the prophet Mohammed's wives as prostitutes, is not correct. Be that as
it may, I confess compassion for a man who will have to spend the rest
of his life in hiding and may well be killed for what he has written. 
I am apalled by the intolerance and violence shown by some segments of 
the Moslem world.

There is no need to respond by pointing out that Judaism, when it had
the temporal power in ancient and mythical times was guilty of brutality,
nor the faults of the modern state of Israel, nor to point to Christian 
atrocities like the Crusades, the Inquisition, witch trials, etc. I don't 
subscribe to either of those religions. I do not defend them. Nor do I mean 
the above as an attack on Islam. I really want to hear the opinions of Moslems.
If my questions appear argumentative consider them rather as a challenge
to bring out your arguments. If I decide to get really argumentative I'll let 
you know :-).

(2) I have a copy of the Quoran (sp?). The translation I have is the one
published by Penquin Classics. I'd be interested in comments on various
translations into English and suggestions on selected sections to read
to get a good over view. I have read some, but not systematically.

Bill Mayne   |    mayne@nu.cs.fsu.edu