bakht.jpg

Laleh Bakhtiar

Qoran translation controversy

In an article in the Toronto Star on Oct. 21, a leading Islamic cleric said he was considering banning Laleh Bakhtiar's translation of the Qoran. As a result of that article, Muslim women leaders in Toronto were outraged. Subsequently ISNA, the Islamic Society of North America through it's President Ingrid Mattson, issued a statement supporting Bakhtiar's translation:

October 24, 2007: The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has asked ISNA Canada Secretary General to retract his statement that he would consider “banning” Laleh Bakhtiar’s translation of the meaning of the Qur’an and his questioning of Bakhtiar’s authority to undertake such a translation.

ISNA is an umbrella organization that strives to represent the diversity of North American Islam. ISNA has long recognized the validity of different schools of Islamic thought, theology and doctrine. We have affirmed this recognition as an original signatory of the “Amman Message” (ammanmessage.com) and by offering the platform of our conferences and conventions open to representatives of our diverse community. We do not recognize any particular scholar, school of thought or institution as necessarily authoritative for all Muslims. Further, we support the right of scholarly inquiry and intellectual discussion on issues related to Islam.

ISNA supports and encourages honest debate and scholarship on issues affecting the Muslim community. In particular, we have long been concerned with the misuse of Islam to justify injustice towards women. ISNA held its first domestic violence conference over ten years ago, and has since that time, has held numerous training and education seminars to promote domestic harmony and prevent violence against women.

It should be noted, in fact, that Bakhtiar’s interpretation of Qur’anic verse 4:34 is not new, although we do not deny that she arrived at her position independently. A similar interpretation was offered by Dr Abdul Hamid Abu Sulayman, Rector of the International Islamic University of Malaysia, in a 2003 special edition of “Islamic Horizons,” ISNA’s flagship publication. It is unfortunate that many Muslims are unaware of the depth and sophistication of Qur’anic exegesis. ISNA is committed to rectifying this lack of knowledge and expects our administrators to promote ISNA’s values and mission.

from C.I.
26-Oct-2007
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way to go

by nabegheh (not verified) on Tue Nov 27, 2007 07:57 PM PST

Amen! It;s about time the people took the Koran into their own hands and expressed themselves. Especially a woman's perspective!


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no holy books = less misinformed

by Anonymous22 (not verified) on Fri Nov 09, 2007 08:54 PM PST

To William Angmar
Bravo!


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To: A. olagh mard Musalmon!

by Anonymous234 (not verified) on Mon Oct 29, 2007 07:33 AM PDT

She is an arabzadeh or lover of arabs to have spent so much time on a pedophile's book! More torture and rape for Iran, please!


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Congratulations

by Kamran (not verified) on Sun Oct 28, 2007 04:14 AM PDT

Congratulations to Professor Laleh Bakhtiar for her translation work. I esteem her courage and support her efforts for modern Islam. We Iranians should be proud that she is the first women to translate the whole Quran into English. Mashallah.

Kamran, Sweden


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TOFF BE ROYEH TAZI PARASTN-E MIHAN FROOSH

by MOTARJEM (not verified) on Sun Oct 28, 2007 12:50 AM PDT

MA IRANAIN MEHAN PARAST AJVABE-E SHOMA NEJASATHAI-E AFARIESH RA KHAHIM DAAD,IRANIAN TARJOM-E QURAN-E KAJM RA BAA POSTO OSTOKHAN VA DAGEH DELL VA SHKANJEH VA SHALLAG DARK KARDEH AND. EHTIAJ NIEST KE SHOMA TARJOMEH KOONIED.. PAYANDEH IRAN, BARGRAR BAAD DERAFSH-E KAVIANI.


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Good for you Ms Bakhtiar

by Good Girl (not verified) on Sat Oct 27, 2007 06:24 PM PDT

I always planned to buying a Koran to see what its all about, I'll make sure to get a copy of Ms Bakhtiar's. I know from my female muslim friends, its been a long time coming..


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khejalat...kejalat....kejalat.....

by motarjem (not verified) on Sat Oct 27, 2007 11:27 AM PDT

Khejalat bekesh az in kaarat. In Tarjomei in ketabeh naangin ke bejozz gatl va gaarat va tajavoz chiez niest kari besiar kasiff hast. khejalat... khejalat... khejalat...


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Things to know about real Islam!

by Rostame Farokhzad (not verified) on Sat Oct 27, 2007 11:14 AM PDT


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imagine what this world would have been without any religion

by daydreamer (not verified) on Sat Oct 27, 2007 09:55 AM PDT

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...


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I have the solution!!

by William Angmar (not verified) on Sat Oct 27, 2007 07:02 AM PDT

It will be a great day when the Qoran and the Bible, and all other "holy books" are forgotten, and are relegated to museums where visitors can view them as the historical curiosities that they are, next to the extinct mastodons and other ponderous behemoths of the unenlightened past.

No "holy books" and no religions equals peace and brotherhood for all.


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Hajiagha's new ID

by soopoor (not verified) on Sat Oct 27, 2007 03:11 AM PDT

sucks canada na ahmagh jaan,Canada sucks...hamin Englisit lowet mide OLAAGH.hamin ke chon dastet be zan nemirese mikhai mesle naneye goor be goor shodat hame zanaro ba ye pite naft besoozini,neshoon mide khodeti antar e meimoon.to doge az Ahmadinezhad ham manfoooooor tari.Oghdeyee


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True translation

by No Name (not verified) on Sat Oct 27, 2007 03:09 AM PDT

Here is the total translation, since that book came to Iran it took our country into a spiraling turn into the dark ages. You can cover shit in roses to cover the smell but it is still the same shit.
The only thing this it is doing is taming, a barbaric religion, its better than nothing maybe it will tranquilize some people. The reality is, our country would have been better off becoming Mormons,Christians,Jew,episcopalians,, than that crap. A question if the premise is God is omnipotent and the Quran comes from God, then how do you revise it? Because I would like to see the "interpetation" of , 2:191,

I suggest we listen over and over again to
Dr. Wafa Sultan


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Khaleh Laleh!

by Fozulbashi (not verified) on Sat Oct 27, 2007 01:36 AM PDT

JJ jan, we know Laleh is your Khaleh but pleeeeeease? Just because she is your khaleh she can't be a great translator of Quran! Besides, she has had it proof read by her teacher, that great charlatan Seyyed Hossein Nasr. And guess what. Nasr's knwoledge of Arabic is the same as your knowledge of Swahili, looool.


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Anonymous234...

by Anonymous Mard (not verified) on Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:27 PM PDT

If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything.

For example, I would like to say something along the lines of "shoshedam beh harchi aghl'i keh fekr kardi daashti" to you, Anonymous234. But I won't.

But I did. Oh, well.


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sucks canada

by sucks canada (not verified) on Fri Oct 26, 2007 08:24 PM PDT

ما برده داری در کاناد داریم نه دمکرا سی حتی بسیاری ز خود کانادائی ها از آزادی بیش از حد زن ها و قدر ت آنها شاکی هستند و عدم مدیریت درست زنها باعث مشکلا ت فرا وانی شده ....آیا لازم است که به زن ها قدر ت داد تا باعث گرفتاری ها شوند...


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Quran translation

by markux (not verified) on Fri Oct 26, 2007 03:33 PM PDT

whatever the translation, one will never get the total meaning from a translation. Even Quran itself says " we sent this Quran in your own language so you understand". Quran was sent to Arabs ONLY, and that means people of Arabia. It was the Arabs greed that expanded it to the rest of us. But if you really want to get it you need to read it in its original language, not using dictionary, but living there and getting the totality of the language, everything, color, texture, context, semantics, connotation, and subtleties of the language. If you don't get what am I saying read Hafiz in English and then you hopefully get it. Leave their book to them. Having said all that do not be so nationalistic to hate the people of Arabia, they are people to under the tyranny of theifs.


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bahmani

A Woman's Perspective on the Qoran! Fantastic!

by bahmani on Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:38 PM PDT

Finally, the voice of reason and moderation will be associated with one of the most mis-understood and mis-represented and mis-interpreted religions! Congrats on a wonderful idea whose time has been a long time in coming! The attempt to impose any kind of censorship on this translation is exactly the main problem that has caused and perpetuated so many more problems with Islam.


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