Bangladesh has joined Pakistan in banning the latest issue of Newsweek. Well, not surprisingly. I've seen this happen a few times before, obscenity, religion, politics... all different reasons to ban or censor stuff every now and then. But I'd like to talk about the current issue: interpreting the Quran [a.s.a. Koran].

For those who are not aware of the fact - Muslims included - there are 72 sects in Islam, each with their own interpretation of the Holy Book. Yes, some of them are such off-the-track from the mainstream Sunni interpretations that their entire sect has been declared not be Muslim at all. Or like the Ahmadis (Qadiyanis), who use their own intrepretation to prove their 19th century false prophet. My point is, Arabic is a vast language with most words having mutliple meanings. Now if a Jewish scholar sitting in Germany says that the Muslim misinterpreted it when the Quran said "wheat grains" into "black eyed virgins", let him say it, because you yourself i-n-t-e-r-p-r-e-t-e-d it's meaning, not translated it. It's linguistically correct. There is no one agreable of translation of the Quran anyway, and I know. Mind you that every sect in Islam ridicules the other for interpreting the Quran the "wrong" way (and sometimes murder it's praying members, like it's been happening to the minority Shiites in Pakistan).

Of course, you have the right to reject the claim put forward in Newsweek that the Quran has Christian roots if you are a true believer of the book. And you have the right to call that guy an asshole. I do. But personally, I feel that banning an issue of a popular magazine is not the solution. It's absurd and smells of Mullah fear. If you read the article (I did), you learn that the whole virgin thing was referenced to the 9/11 hijackers. And since murders never go to heaven, getting virgins in the afterlife is out of question.

I'm sure whoever approved of this would really freak out if they saw episode 504.

[The article is still accessible in either countries through Newsweek's website. Neither country has internet filters. And Zev Chafets can go fuck himself since he doesn't know anything about Pakistan or Islam.]