No, ignorance.
I read the Quoran over 30 years ago as a teenager, shortly after reading the Bible for the second time from beginning to end.
Last fall I wanted a better translation, so began looking in bookstores.
I had wondered why Bush constantly refers to Islam as a "religion of peace", when it so clearly is not.
I was startled at what I found in Barnes & Noble.
They had over 15 different versions of the Quoran on the shelf.
I always use Sura (chapter) 48 when looking at translations.
In any "old" Quoran, 20 years old or more, the title of that chapter is "Spoils of War".
In all but one of the "modern" translations, the title was either in Arabic script, so English readers wouldn't know its meaning, or was the English word, "Victory".
In older versions of english translation Quorans, Sura 48 tells how Allah will rain down fire upon the unbelievers, and their possessions will be divided among the true believers as "spoils of war".
"Modern" versions, in the last 20 years or so, say nothing of Allah raining down fire upon unbelievers, and merely say Allah will provide believers with "great booty", or.... get this... "great acquisitions", never saying where this is to come from.
Anyone reading these "new" translations of the Quoran would be led to believe Islam is a "religion of peace", and equivalent to any other religion.
They are pulling the wool over our eyes, or at least over the eyes of ignorant English speakers and readers with these "propaganda" translations.
I imagine this even may include the new muslim congressman. Had he taken the time to read what is in the translation Jefferson had, he may have had a real eye opener.
Thank you for this post, Mogger.
smooth-would you want to send this to WND?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1763331/posts?page=20
Good post. Thanks. Too bad these changes in text only apply to the translations from arabic to english or whatever. If the muslims themelves had newer editions of the Quran where those changes were made that would be a good thing.