Article

2008-08-13 Olde Tyme Religion

UT professor's complaints lead to cancellation of book about Muhammad's wife

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Posted by ryuge 2008-08-13 05:32|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 "They are calling me an opponent of free speech, saying I am a supporter of Muslim extremists,"

That's because you are, honey. Where was she when the historical inaccuracies of The Da Vinci Code were published? Laughing, I guarantee.

Posted by gromky 2008-08-13 05:51|| 2008-08-13 05:51|| Front Page Top

#2 Sounds like your run-of-the-mill speicalist turned apologist because she fell in love with her subject (or was drawn to it because she already was one); I'm sure her upcoming "Thomas Jefferson's Quran" will be in the same vein - see, US history is heavily indebted to the marvelous muslim tradition? or something like that. Academics tools.

Posted by anonymous5089 2008-08-13 07:39|| 2008-08-13 07:39|| Front Page Top

#3 but dangerous ones.

Posted by lotp 2008-08-13 07:51|| 2008-08-13 07:51|| Front Page Top

#4 Thomas Jefferson's Quran

It wouldn't surprise me if Thomas Jefferson had read and even owned a copy of the Quran. He was an educated man, after all. It would be a mistake to take that as an endorsement though. Given his statement that "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every from of tyranny over the mind of man", I suspect he was quite appalled by the contents.

Posted by SteveS 2008-08-13 09:17|| 2008-08-13 09:17|| Front Page Top

#5 And to a certain degree, Ms. Spellberg could feel quite proprietary about Aisha, could feel subconsciously that she "owns" the character. She probably has her own visualization of what Aisha was like... and feels pretty threatened by someone elses' very different visualization. And it's exacerbated since one author is a "serious" academic and the other is a moonlighting reporter who has written a historical bodice-ripper. (Or burka-ripper, in this case.)
I ran into this same kind of hostility with "To Truckee's Trail" when I contacted a certain historian who is about the only other person this century who has done something focusing on the Stephens-Townsend Party. I got a very strange vibe from him, a distinct feeling of personal hostility because I had dared to tresspass on a subject and characters that he had thought of as exclusively his "own". Thank god I wasn't asking him to blurb or review!

In any case, there won't be as tenth of the readers for "T.J.s Quran" as there will be for "The Jewel of Medina". Ms. Jones will chortle all the way to the bank, and Ms. Spellberg will hug her academic credentials to her and feel smug and superior.

Posted by Sgt. Mom">Sgt. Mom 2008-08-13 09:41|| http://www.celiahayes.com]">[http://www.celiahayes.com] 2008-08-13 09:41|| Front Page Top

#6 It's interesting to see the different cultures in academic research. In technical areasthere's certainly caution about other people stealing ideas but because change is rapid and many breakthroughs are presented at conferences first, many researchers are pretty open to questions.

In history OTOH I gather it's the practice to publish journal articles that might take 2-3 years each to prepare. Rather than being part of a rapid give and take, historians are expected to publish a strongly-vetted paper which covers every applicable datum and addresses any objections or other interpretations in depth.

That's not a defense of Spellberg, but it might explain why her first response would be to target any inaccuracies in the novel.

Posted by lotp 2008-08-13 09:52|| 2008-08-13 09:52|| Front Page Top

#7 TJ converted to Islam after reading the Koran.

America's first Muslim President.

Posted by DK70 the Scantily Clad7177 2008-08-13 10:29|| 2008-08-13 10:29|| Front Page Top

#8 And also the first president to put his own flesh and blood up on the auction block.

If I were Moslem I'd try to find another president to claim.

Posted by Abdominal Snowman 2008-08-13 10:36|| 2008-08-13 10:36|| Front Page Top

#9 Interesting insight, Sgt Mom.

Posted by anonymous5089 2008-08-13 10:46|| 2008-08-13 10:46|| Front Page Top

#10 "While Rushdie covers much the same ground about Aisha as Jones does -- suggesting even that she had a dalliance in the desert -- the greater issue is that Rushdie questioned whether God spoke directly to the Prophet Muhammad," she said. "Rushdie can claim he was raising an existential, theological query, however impertinent. Jones' book is a mere burlesque."

Because, as we all know, only intellectually stimulating speech is protected by the 1st Amendment.

Posted by Rob Crawford">Rob Crawford 2008-08-13 11:33|| 2008-08-13 11:33|| Front Page Top

#11 er, that was pretty common practice where and when TJ lived. Im not a TJ worshipper , but the application to him of anachronistic standards is not something I have much patience with.

Also of course his ownership of a Koran had nothing to do with being converted to Islam - he had no particular truck with revelation in general. It was simply part of his broad intellectual curiosity about the world. A curiosity that he left as a legacy to our country, and that one hopes we can keep, as its one of our greatest strengths.

Posted by Galitizianer 2008-08-13 11:37|| 2008-08-13 11:37|| Front Page Top

#12 Jefferson also had no qualms taking scissors to the Christian Gospels to create a no-miracles-are--possible version for personal consumption. it was reduced in size, but not by much. One may suppose He did the same with the Koran.

One wonders how much he kept and how much he cut.

Somebody alert Monticello if he did: his grave is in grave danger.

Posted by Ptah">Ptah 2008-08-13 12:53|| http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org]">[http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2008-08-13 12:53|| Front Page Top

#13 IIRC, Jefferson's Koran (a 1743 English translation from Arabic) was used as a research tool by him during the war with the Barbary States.

Posted by Pappy 2008-08-13 15:16|| 2008-08-13 15:16|| Front Page Top

#14 My understanding is he got his Koran after talking with the Bey of Algiers, or some such personage, while an ambassador for the U.S. And as a result of his personal experience and reading, once president he sent the U.S. Marines to fix the Muslim white slavery problem.

Posted by trailing wife 2008-08-13 15:36|| 2008-08-13 15:36|| Front Page Top

#15 Which explains why Ellison was so keen on using it for his oath of office. A subtle 'screw you, Infidel!' moment.

Posted by Pappy 2008-08-13 19:00|| 2008-08-13 19:00|| Front Page Top

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