Let’s clarify some points
about Quran, Muslims

J. David Trawick expresses the common sentiments of many when he urges moderate Muslims to speak out against cartoon violence and decries the violence he finds in the Quran (“Moderate Muslims need to speak against cartoon violence,” Feb. 24). For this reason some clarifications are in order.
> Moderate Muslims have spoken out again and again against this kind of violence. However, our American news media has relegated such statements to the letters to the editor’s pages—if they cover them at all.
A recent joint statement against violence by a group of prominent American Muslim leaders was given almost no coverage in the press. By contrast an entirely marginal, but extreme, Pakistani cleric who called for violence was given days of television coverage by CNN and Fox.
It should be noted that in many large Muslim countries (Malaysia, Turkey) there has been no violence over the cartoon issue.
> Muslims don’t read the Quran the way Protestants read the Bible. The exact historical context of every single verse is well known, and that knowledge is essential to interpretation.
In addition there are serious literary considerations to be addressed. Neither the Quran as a whole, nor individual chapters, is in chronological order. To know the historical and literary context of the Quran, one must know the classical commentaries on the Quran and the complete traditions of Muhammad.
That means well-intentioned efforts to understand Islam by simply reading an English translation of the Quran are nearly worthless. The Quran has traditionally been interpreted in Muslim communities by skilled scholars who minimally must have memorized it, memorized the entire Hadith and spent several years in intense literary and historical studies.
Taken out of that context, individual verses in the Quran are nearly meaningless and tell us nothing of Islam or Muslims. Most of the verses allowing violence, for example, are directed precisely at specific historical situations and are regarded by most commentators as irrelevant to contemporary events.
> Those of us living in glass houses should not throw stones. Our Lord himself said in Matthew 10:34, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
And in Luke 22:36 he said, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”
Nor is Christianity exempt from charges of unwarranted violence and bloodshed, both in the past and present.
If we expect our Muslim brothers and sisters to ask us about the correct interpretation of these verses rather than using them against us, then we might consider doing the same when we approach their scripture. I believe it was Jesus who said, “Do to others what you would have them do to you.” Sound advice.

Robert Hunt
Dallas