[lbo-talk] New Translation Prompts Debate on Islamic Verse

Wojtek Sokolowski sokol at jhu.edu
Tue Mar 27 14:12:47 PDT 2007


Yoshie:

-

That depends, for instance, on whether interpretations of the texts in question have anything to do with legal systems and traditions. No nation's law has anything to do with Grimm's Fairy Tales, but many nations' legal systems and traditions have quite a bit to do with their predominant religions, sometimes directly, as in the case of the predominantly Islamic world (including "secular" states there), sometimes indirectly, as part of influences on history and tradition that get taken into account by courts.

[WS:] So when was the last time that an interpretation of a religious text changed a legal practice - slavery, land grab, discrimination of women and minorities, the list is long. Exegesis of the religious text is a one way street, Yoshie - it only rationalizes the existing legal practices, especially those most abominable that really need rationalizations. It never changes them. If there a change, it comes from elsewhere. Religious exegesis jumps on the bandwagon only after the dust settles. In other words, religion is a whore that only does tricks for those in a position to pay for them, and never challenges its johns.

Wojtek



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list