Amazing hand art, Harry Potter at Gitmo

[nancylebov]

Hand Art

Gitmo

Some of the Islamic prisoners like HP a lot. Nobody should tell the US government about the political content of book 6.

Nitpick: The article mentions prisoners getting "translations" of the Koran. As I understand it, translations are permitted but considered non-canonical. I suspect the word the WashPost wanted was "transcription".

As for conditions at Gitmo, I notice that there was no mention of what proportion of prisoners have access to books.

Links found at the exemplary Geekpress.

Comments

[madfilkentist]

"Transcription" doesn't sound like the right word, either, "Paraphrase," maybe. My impression is that the standard Islamic view is that the Quran is untranslatable -- not just that translating it is wrong, but that there is no such thing as a translation of it.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

Here's the quote: Most of the Muslim holy books are printed in Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd Holy Koran Printing Complex. There, Islamic clerics ensure that each edition faithfully translates the words of the prophet Muhammad.

"Paraphrase" isn't the right word--it means "restating in other words", and that's not what's wanted.

Promulgates? Promulgates accurately?

[womzilla.livejournal.com]

It says [incorrectly] in the article that they get Korans in various languages. For the actual Korans--which is to say, the canonical Arabic text--"transcribes" would be correct. For the translations, "translates" would be correct. I assume that they're describing the translations division of the King Fahd Holy Koran Printing Complex.

As you correctly say, it is permissible to translate the Koran; what is heretically is to refer to the translation as the Koran, because the Koran is specifically the Arabic text.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Having the Arabic be the one and only real Koran avoids the problem of people who literally don't know that their holy book wasn't written in their native language.

[madfilkentist]

Such as some English-speaking Christians? :)

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

Yeah--I was thinking of the possibly apochryphal "If English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me".

[kressel.livejournal.com]

Fascinating article!