The veracity of this story cannot be taken for granted, as it comes from a mouthpiece for the Iranian regime, the Ahlul Bayt News Agency, and reflects Shi’ite polemic against Sunnis. However, it also shows the pitfalls and difficulties of genuine Islamic reform: anyone who attempts such a thing is immediately branded a heretic and apostate.
“Egypt authorities faces backlash for their plan to ‘modernise’ Quran,” Ahlul Bayt News Agency, December 29, 2021:
AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Authorities in Egypt are facing backlash for their plan to ‘modernise’ Muslims Holy Book, Quran. An Egyptian author and journalist criticized a proposal being discussed by the country’s Senate on writing a modern interpretation of the Holy Quran.
Yusuf Sayyid Amer, head of the Senate’s religious committee, has submitted the proposal, saying the new interpretation will highlight Islam’s moderation and counters extremism.
It would provide an answer to certain Hadiths that extremist groups refer to in order to justify their ideologies, Amer added.
Qutb al-Arabi, the author and journalist, wrote in a piece carried by Arabi21 website that silence on such a proposal is not possible because it has been put forward by politicians and government officials, not by scholars and experts.
He said manipulation of the most sacred Muslim text, namely the Quran, with the aim of serving governments and rulers is not acceptable.
“Who could accept tying of the verses of the Quran to serving unjust policies or presenting distorted understandings to cover and justify abnormal phenomena in society in order to satisfy international pressure groups?” he wondered.
He described the proposal put forward by Amer and endorsed by the country’s Awqaf minister and grand Mufti as being in line with the lies on a “new state” that President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi and the media have been talking about….
This pharaonic identity is being presented as an alternative to the current Arab-Islamic identity, he stated, adding that one cannot rule out that a new flag and national anthem will soon be announced for it as well.
Buraq says
Islamic dogma states that innovation in religion is forbidden. So, the passing centuries leave Islam further and further behind. Eventually, Islam will fall so far behind, it will become irrelevant. That is already happening now.
Michael Copeland says
light-years removed from the modern world.
— Hamed Abdel-Samad, author
dragging everything it pollutes back into the stone age.
— Keith O, comment Dec 25, 2021 at 4:02 pm
an anti-modern, tribalist and sectarian mentality
— Rogers Emerson
https://gatesofvienna.net/2021/12/quiz-vi-twenty-clues/
gravenimage says
🙂
Janetmarie says
TAQIYYA
Janetmarie says
TAQIYYA
gravenimage says
Iran news agency claims Egypt is writing ‘modern interpretation’ of Qur’an, moving to replace Arab-Islamic identity
…………..
Just not savage enough for truly pious Muslims…
Janetmarie says
TAQIYYA
Hank says
Does anyone know if the picture is taken in Sweden or Egypt?
Kepha says
The text criticism of the Qur’an is an important issue for all who are concerned about the history of civilization. While I am not a Muslim, and, indeed, take a critical outsider’s view of the religion, I’d like to know that the Qur’an I consult is as close to the original that Muhammad himself (or his scribes) actually penned. I do not know how many ancient Arabic Qur’an manuscripts exist, or what is known about their origins. However, if the Chinese government wants to re-write the Qur’an to make it more amenable to their own Marxist-Leninist and Chinese nationalistic prejudices, I would condemn it as an illegitimate venture just as I would condemn similar attempts to rewrite the Bible. If a group of Arab secularists was to rewrite the Qur’an as a Westernizing humanist document, I’d also condemn it. This would be dishonest about both the theology and history–and perhaps only a step from the kind of humanism for which the late, unlamented Erich Mielke stood.
For Christians, the existence of thousands of manuscripts and patristic citations of the New Testament (and Septuagint) requires a serious work of textual criticism–and such an enterprise has been waxing and waning since Origen. The discipline has flourished since the Renaissance (and has been applied to virtually all surviving ancient texts). Old Testament textual criticism faces a less complicated task in comparing the Masoretic Text (perhaps best known via the Leningrad Codex, Aleppo Codex fragments, and early Western printed versions), the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the ancient translations. Yet, at the end of the day, you get a good picture of what the prophets and apostles wrote.
Granted, Islam is the quintessential obscurantist religion (although the varied sects of Marxism-Leninism approach it). Granted the Qur’an is full of falsehoods. Granted, Uncle Kepha retains his belief that the only “Islamic reformation” worth supporting is the mass conversions of Muslims to the Christ of the Old and New Testaments. Granted, there may be differing rescensions of the Qur’an with roots stretching back into the early Islamic centuries. But, for the sake of honest historical study, don’t rewrite it.
gravenimage says
I generally agree, Kepha–but if Muslims might be less violent somewhere I would not be against it. Not sure it will work, though.
Janetmarie says
TAQQIYYA
Janetmarie says
TAQIYYA
Infidel says
Egypt wants to replace its Arab-islamic identity? Does that mean that the Copts will be the identity of the country, and that the 90+% Arab majority will be Egyptians, just that neither Arabic nor islam will define Egypt’s identity? But if that’s the case, where is the need to re-interpret the quran?
Also, President El-Sisi has been noted as being a devout muslim: his wife is always in a burqa. So how is it even believable that he will be the one to bring such a change? I can believe that about Mohammed bin Salman next door in Saudi Arabia, but not Gen Sisi
Janetmarie says
TAQIYYA