Interesting interview with Rushdie about his book, "The Satanic Verses".  He points out that the Islamists actually missed the entire point of the book, which was not to denigrate Islam or Mohammed but rather was a discussion of the verses which were expunged from the Koran by Mohammed and the circumstances  under which they had come to be written.

As this discussion occurred as part of a fantasy novel which was about the dreams of an immigrant who wasn't even Muslim who was going insane, the entire Fatwa and hullabaloo which followed was obviously an over-reaction by the Ayatollah.  Rather like the over-reaction to the Danish cartoons was, it was deliberately stirred up by the Islamists for their own ends and Rushdie's work had in the end little really to do with it.  He was merely the vehicle for them to reinforce their agenda amongst Muslims.

Now, I'd like to discuss the actual verses, rather than the Rushdie affair.  I've been hunting around but can't seem to find them.   Gandalf, would you also like to discuss the issue of whether or not Mohammed could be led astray, as he himself claimed by the Devil and be made to write verses which later needed to be expunged from the Koran?

I expect that the usual crowd will butt in with their Islamophobia but I'd like to discuss the issue of divine inspiration for such works.

Is it the verses that got eaten by a sheep?

Is it the verses that promote the health properties of camel urine?

The Satanic Verses was a great read, albeit it was 20yrs ago so the memory of the details are a bit hazy.
I didn't realize it was based upon removed verses of the Koran though... now you have me intrigued.
Have ya got a link to the interview HB?



freediver wrote on Sep 5^th, 2014 at 4:39pm:

Is it the verses that got eaten by a sheep?

Karnal wrote on Sep 5^th, 2014 at 4:42pm:

Is it the verses that promote the health properties of camel urine?

Hey welcome chest beaters, can you enlighten me with anything more than one liners... I'm always open to a limited opinion ;D

That's about all I recall. Apparently Aisha spoke of a tame sheep wandering into the tent and eating verses she had hidden under her mattress. It may have been some nasty verses about women.

freediver wrote on Sep 5^th, 2014 at 5:49pm:

That's about all I recall. Apparently Aisha spoke of a tame sheep wandering into the tent and eating verses she had hidden under her mattress. It may have been some nasty verses about women.

Now you've jogged my memory... maybe they were nasty verses about men written by women, ouch!

No it is not the goat-eating story.

And both stories are likely not authentic.

polite_gandalf wrote on Sep 5^th, 2014 at 6:10pm:

No it is not the goat-eating story. And both stories are likely not authentic.

Even if the stories are not authentic, do you have any info on who, why and when they were written?

fezz wrote on Sep 5^th, 2014 at 5:02pm:

The Satanic Verses was a great read, albeit it was 20yrs ago so the memory of the details are a bit hazy. I didn't realize it was based upon removed verses of the Koran though... now you have me intrigued. Have ya got a link to the interview HB?

That would be, I suspect from the Radio National "Books and Art's Daily" program - http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/booksandartsdaily/salmon-rushdie/5712582

It was interesting.  The verses referred to were about Mohammed's inclusion of some Pagan winged goddess as "daughters of God" in the Koran to enable him to do a deal with the rulers of Mecca. When the deal fell through, the verses were removed and Mohammed told the story that he'd been duped by the Devil to include them.

Now, that suggests that the Koran was not as divinely inspired as it is supposed to be and that there were venal motives behind it.  Perhaps Gandalf knows more?

Guys, the extent of my knowledge on this literally goes as far as the wiki article I just looked up. Feel free to look it up too.

It's on the wiki?

freediver wrote on Sep 5^th, 2014 at 7:43pm:

It's on the wiki?

Sure. Abu didn’t reply. You put this in.

Don’t you read it?

wiki FD, not the wiki - lol

or in other words wikipedia. I tend to look it up when I want to learn stuff I know nothing about.

Absurd concept, I know.

freediver wrote on Sep 5^th, 2014 at 5:49pm:

That's about all I recall. Apparently Aisha spoke of a tame sheep wandering into the tent and eating verses she had hidden under her mattress. It may have been some nasty verses about women.

So the sheep went into aishas house,and a sheep lifted up the mattress,even though mattresses weren't invented then, the sheep lifted the mattress with its feet and ate the verses?cool story.

polite_gandalf wrote on Sep 5^th, 2014 at 8:41pm:

wiki FD, not the wiki - lol or in other words wikipedia. I tend to look it up when I want to learn stuff I know nothing about. Absurd concept, I know.

FD doesn’t need any of that. He has Abu.

There you go HB it's being discussed...happy now  ;D ;D ;D ;D