Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA17798 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 28 Sep 2001 16:49:05 +0100 From: "Lawrence DeBivort" <debivort@umd5.umd.edu> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Belief & Behavior--Islam, Apostasy and Blasphemy Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 11:01:55 -0400 Message-ID: <NEBBKOADILIOKGDJLPMAKEMHCGAA.debivort@umd5.umd.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2919.6600 In-Reply-To: <3BB494AB.C6BCEB6F@pacbell.net> Importance: Normal Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
No, Rushdie was accused of apostasy (relinquishing the faith for another).
Blasphemy is indeed considered a sin in Islam. Both are punished and have
been, though with great variation among time and place in the Islamic world.
Blasphemy has been treated as equally bad or worse than apostasy. In early
19th century Egypt, for example, it was believed that blasphemy was the
worst sin, as it was the result of 'utter depravity', while apostasy was the
result of misjudgment. (Lane, MAMMERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE MODERN
EGYPTIANS,1836). Interesting to note that blasphemy, in the Muslim world,
consist of utterances against God and Muhammad, as well as against Moses or
Christ or any other prophet.
Lawrence
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk [mailto:fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk]On Behalf Of
> Bill Spight
> Sent: Friday, September 28, 2001 11:18 AM
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: Belief & Behavior
>
>
> Dear Vincent,
>
> > Just quickly, we must remember that unlike Christianity or, I think,
> > Judaism, Islam has no concept of blasphemy. In other words disagreement
> > over what the Koran means is actually a central point in Islam, but the
> > different divisions sunni, shiite etc. have, in countries like
> Iran and the
> > Taleban's Afghanistan, disavowed this in favour of their authoritarian
> > interpretations of the Koran.
> >
> > This caused all sorts of problems for British muslims trying to
> get Salman
> > Rushdie's book 'The Satanic Verses' banned in the 1980s on the
> grounds that
> > it was blasphemous. First, UK blasphemy law only covers
> christianity, and
> > second Islam has no blasphemy, only apostacy (turning on's back on one's
> > faith) which is not a crime (otherwise all us atheists would be
> locked up!).
> >
>
> Could you please explain further? I was under the impression that
> Rushdie's "death sentence" was because of blasphemy.
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Bill
>
> ===============================================================
> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
> Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
> For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
> see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Sep 28 2001 - 16:54:26 BST