Quran criticizes companions of Jesus, new study claims

A new study challenges the common view that the Quran depicts the companions of Jesus as faithful followers of his message. The study, published in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, argues that the Quran actually criticizes the companions, known as al-hawariyyun, for deviating from Jesus’ teachings and becoming corrupted by Jewish and Christian influences.

According to Islamic tradition, the companions of Jesus in the Quran, the ḥawāriyyūn, were faithful disciples. The Quran means to present the ḥawāriyyūn as such and generally translates ḥawāriyyūn as “apostles” or “disciples”. In three different passages, the Quran refers to the companions of Jesus as al-ḥawāriyyūn. The ḥawāriyyūn declare their belief in Jesus and in his God. The Quran praises the ḥawāriyyūn for their belief in Jesus but reprimands them for abandoning his message. Christians are not condemned but rather exhorted to return to their prophet’s teaching. Gabriel Said Reynolds argues that while the Quran indeed means to signal the apostles of Christian tradition with the term ḥawāriyyūn, it does not consider the ḥawāriyyūn to have been faithful.

The author of the study, Gabriel Said Reynolds, a professor at the University of Notre Dame, analyzes the three Quranic passages that mention the hawariyyun and compares them with biblical and historical sources. He suggests that the Quran uses the term hawariyyun to signal the apostles of Christian tradition, but does not endorse their role as witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection or recipients of the Holy Spirit. Instead, the Quran exhorts them to return to the pure monotheism of Jesus and to acknowledge Muhammad as the final prophet.

Reynolds also explores the etymology of the term hawariyyun and its connection to the Ethiopic term hawarya, which means “apostle” in the Christian tradition. He argues that this connection does not imply that the Quran borrowed from Ethiopian Christianity, but rather that it engaged with a common Semitic vocabulary that was used to refer to religious leaders and communities.

The study offers a new perspective on the Quran’s relationship with Christianity and its understanding of Jesus and his companions. It also contributes to the ongoing debate on the origins and development of Islam in its historical context.

Why are Bob Woodward's WH sources - or Woodward himself - not on trial next to Bradley Manning? | Glenn Greenwald

Why are Bob Woodward's WH sources - or Woodward himself - not on trial next to Bradley Manning? | Glenn Greenwald:

'via Blog this'

Kazan

A wedding feast is in full swing in the imam’s office of Kazan’s Qolsharif mosque, a gleaming white, blue-domed landmark atop the city’s citadel. As my interpreter Olga Kassimova and I tuck into round duck pies, called belish, and achpochmak, triangles of pastry stuffed with chopped meat and potatoes, Rustem Zinnurov, the 34-year-old imam, spells out the Russian city’s well-deserved reputation for religious tolerance.

Migration Board firing of pro- Israel blogger 'violated constitution'

Published: 28 Sep 09 14:26 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/22340/20090928/
Iskandar Muda

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Sweden's Parliamentary Ombudsman (Justitieombudsmannen - JO) has rapped the Migration Board (Migrationsverket) over its controversial reassignment of Lennart Eriksson, an employee who had voiced pro-Israeli opinions on his personal blog.

* Migration Board pays off pro-Israel employee (29 Dec 08)
* Pro-Israel employee wins suit against Migration Board (12 Nov 08)
* Migration Board: 'Hamas is a liberation movement' (25 Oct 08)

The action taken against Eriksson constituted a violation of his freedom of speech – and freedom of opinion, according to the Ombudsman.

“The constitutional protection of freedom of speech means that, amongst other things, the public may not take action against any individual who has exercised their freedom of speech. There are no grounds for an exception in this case,” the Ombudsman wrote.

In 2007, Eriksson was reassigned following a decision by his new supervisor, Eugène Palmér, who objected to Eriksson's pro-Israeli opinions and vocal admiration for the US army general George S. Patton.

Palmér suggested that, given Patton's “broken loyalties to his superiors,” significant doubts had been raised as to Eriksson's trustworthiness.

In accordance with Palmér's decision, Eriksson was first reassigned, and later fired.

The Ombudsman has openly criticized Eriksson's boss, asserting that “there were no legally viable grounds for the course of action Eugène Palmér decided upon.”

Building upon the ombudsman's critique, Eriksson has also pointed the finger at the Director General for the Migration Board, Dan Eliasson.

“In light of the JO's decision, the government should now dismiss Dan Eliasson. No administrative authority should have a boss who allows for violations of the constitution,” Eriksson wrote on his blog.

The Mölndal District Court ruled in November of last year that Eriksson's demotion was invalid and that the Migration Board should pay damages in the amount of 100,000 kronor ($14,200).

TT/Charlotte Webb (news@thelocal.se)

Proposal for Muslim elementary school

Islam in Europe January 15 2009
By Esther

Oslo. As far as I can find out the School of Peace is a Russian-founded NGO, with a Muslim elementary school in Denmark. The "School of Peace" will start its own religious school in Oslo to prevent Muslim children from being turned into extremists aboard.

After Urtehagen closed in 2004 after intense internal conflicts there has been no Muslim elementary school in Norway. Now the School of Peace association is applying to manage a private school in Oslo which will be Muslim religious.

According to the organization's objects clause, the Peace of School is an alternative for parents who today send their children to Koran school aboard, out of a feeling of obligation towards Islamic upbringing. this puts the children at risk - again, according to the objects clause - of being trained in a radical of extreme interpretation of the Koran and losing the feeling of belonging to Norwegian society.

City councilor for schools and education Torger Ødegaard will recommend the application, if the school would fulfill the formal requirements.

"It's because we think that private schools are a positive supplement to the public school," says Ødegaard.

"The parents must weigh what is best for their children. We work very hard so that the public schools in Oslo will be the best possible. I think that the public school is as good at that it can compete with, and it can compete with and which is a wholly different school. But private schools which adapt to the kunnskapsløftet [the Norwegian educational reform] and to Norwegian law and whose education has the students reach the goals in the teaching plan, I'm in favor of," says Ødegaard.

School of Peace wants to have a grade 1-10 school with 200 students - according to the plans, the first 100 will start in the fall.

It's not clear according to the initiators where the school will be in Oslo. The Ministry of Education will have to approve the application.

SV (Socialists) leader in the Oslo council, Knut Even Lindsjørn, thinks that the authorities should reject a private Muslim elementary school in Oslo. He's against religious schools, though the SV approved such schools in the new private school law.

"I think it's unacceptable to set up more religious school in Oslo. It reinforces the split city and maintains a type of division between us and them. We now have a very good KRL class [ie, religion class] in the school that takes care of all religions. I am very involved in having the Oslo school be common for everybody and being an including and diverse school," says Lindsjørn.

Source: NRK (Norwegian)