Alarabiya TV, which is Saudi-owned but operates out of easy-going Dubai, has been tackling a controversial issue in Islam: the idea that the 'Quran as it exists today does not have the exact original text as dictated by the Prophet Mohammed to the sahaba. The controversy was revived recently by a Moroccan academic who claims that some verses were dropped, perhaps during the reign of the third Caliph Othman.
A professor at al-Azhar in Cairo, Shaikh M. al-Mahdi, has refuted that, saying said that the current text of the 'Quran is the exact original one, without any changes. He said that each chapter of the text was written down immediately upon revelation, and that the Angel Gabriel usually reviewed it during Ramadan of each year, for a total of 24 reviews by Gabriel. He also claims that the Prophet was made to forget some of the verses deliberately, especially those that were harsh.
Another al-Azhar scholar, a Shaikh al-Jundi, said that the 'Quran was revealed in the seven most common dialects of the Arabian Peninsula, and that may explain some unusual-looking 'jumps' or the seeming segmentation in the flow of the text, which makes it look like some phrases were deleted.
Iraq and Her Neighbors:
Looks like the Saudi fence along the Iraq border I mentioned two weeks ago will become a reality. It is also expected now to cost $ 12 billion, up from the $7 billion I mentioned. What a big difference two weeks makes. There have also been incidents of sporadic violence and intrusions along the Kuwaiti border with Iraq. Armed groups have been taking occasional shots toward Kuwait. It is not clear who is involved, it is doubtful that even the Iraqi government, or the Coalition, knows. Still, given the history of Kuwait with Iraq, these incidents make people understandably nervous. One undeniable fact remians: an Iraq facing deep security, political, and economic troubles has always managed to export trouble to her neighbors.
Although bloodshed continues in the Baghad area and the Anbar Province, there is a shift of tensions to the north, toward the border of the Kurdistan region. It evolves around territory, especially Kirkuk, the reversing of Ba'athist population dislocations (ethnic cleansing), as well as control of the oil and gas industry.
At Karbalaa', a representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has accused Ba'athist and Sunni extremists of kidnapping, raping, and murdering scores of Shi'a women in Dialy near Baghdad. The province of Dialy includes such notorious tourist hotspots as B'aquba.
Bahrain:
The foreign minister, a Shaikh al-Khalifa, complained in a press interview about possible spread of sectarian tensions from Iraq. He also mentioned Iranian interference in his country's politics. The population of Bahrain is reported to be more than 70% Shi'a, and there have been complaints that they are discriminated against by the rulers and the minority elites, who are Sunni. The island nation, famous recently for being the new home of Michael Jackson, is scheduled to hold legislative elections next November. The elections will be held for only half the legislature, the other half will be appointed by the king- a smart, if questionable, insurance policy common in the Gulf region.
Saudi Arabia & Hizballah:
Alquds Alarabi, published in the safety of London, reports that Hizballah has issued a denial of a report by the Saudi daily newspaper al-jazeirah, that it had recently interviewed Shaikh Hassan Nassrallah. The Saudi paper had reported in the purported interview that Nassrallah had said that he will soon visit the Kingdom to personally thank her leaders, especially the King and Crown Prince, for their help to the Lebanese people during the July war with Israel. Odd.
Shaikh al-Sudeis, the Imam, or vicar if you will, of the grand mosque at Mecca, who is clearly not anorexic, has called for an international 'Accord of Honor' which defends religions, stops bloodshed, and protects innocents. He also called for all Moslems to stand firm in the face of the naked Zionist aggression against the 'blessed land of Palestine', among other things. Cheers
Mohammed
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