Article

2005-05-09 Southeast Asia

Preacher arrested for reciting prayers in Indonesian and Arabic

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Posted by Fred 2005-05-09 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Misleading a bit.

The article continues:
"Muslims believe that God revealed their faith to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Arabic. Regardless of their proficiency in the language, Muslims worldwide use the language when performing prayers, the five-times a day prayer in which verses from the Quran, Islamâs holy book, are ritually recited. Roy, who local media have described as an ex-boxer and convert from Christianity, reads out the Arabic verse followed by an Indonesian translation when leading prayers at his Islamic boarding school in east Java province."

So, he is being prosecuted not for leading daily prayers in both Arabic and Indonesian, but for the Indonesian translation.

That is very serious. If people would know the content and start to analyse it, who knows what may happen!

Posted by Sobiesky 2005-05-09 03:16|| 2005-05-09 03:16|| Front Page Top

#2 Muslims hold that any language other than Arabic cannot carry the exact meaning of the Quran and therefore any writing in another language is an interpretation, and is therefore suspect.

Sobiesky has a good point.

I cannot say too much about this, as I wish to protect my source; but it's amazing what happens when people who have been reading Arabic characters for prayers they don't understand suddenly get their own language written out, using the Arabic characters, and new information coming to them.

Posted by mom 2005-05-09 10:47|| 2005-05-09 10:47|| Front Page Top

#3 I agree with Mom.

I've had the same type of discussions with Moslems who have just learned what the Quran actually is about. A lot of them are disgusted by the incompetant writing style, a lot of them are horrified by the violence, a lot of them are surprized by the contradictions. However, some of them, who take the meaning seriously, are inspired to commit to violent Jihad.

Posted by mhw 2005-05-09 11:12|| 2005-05-09 11:12|| Front Page Top

#4 nothing says seething like Arabic

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-05-09 11:38|| 2005-05-09 11:38|| Front Page Top

#5 There is a good argument RIGHT HERE that:

Syro-Aramaic was also the root of the Koran
not Arabic...

seethe away...

Posted by 3dc 2005-05-09 13:48|| 2005-05-09 13:48|| Front Page Top

#6 Pedantry alert! There is no such language as Indonesian. Most Indonesians speak Bahasa, otherwise known as Malay.

Posted by phil_b 2005-05-09 17:08|| 2005-05-09 17:08|| Front Page Top

#7 This is the same reason the medieval Catholic church insisted that all church services be performed in Latin and all bibles written in Latin. If the followers could read the scriptures for themselves they might develop their own interpretations of God's word. Which is exactly what happened when bibles were translated into the common languages - the Prostestant reformations began and the church lost alot of wealth and power.

Something like this could happen in Islam. Translate the work and let muslims find out what is actually in the Koran and Hadiths, not just what they have been told is there by some Imam with an agenda.

As for only one language being 'proper' to convey scripture, IMHO if it is really the Word of God then the divine message should come shining thru in ANY language.

Posted by SC88 2005-05-09 22:29|| 2005-05-09 22:29|| Front Page Top

#8 But... but... but....

Alan (MHRIH) only understands Arabic!

Posted by CrazyFool 2005-05-09 23:04|| 2005-05-09 23:04|| Front Page Top

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