No fatwa on me- I'm just big-boned!

[captainsblog]

Rumors of my religious tolerance and inclusiveness appear to have been slightly exaggerated. But only slightly.

I got this email from church at the end of the day yesterday:

I remembered something I heard from the Iman in Troy when we jointly led our congregations in a couple of combined worship services. It was something that would certainly not have occurred to me on my own. Proper respect for the Qur’an, he told me, requires that it be read (or sung) in Arabic, then followed by a translation or interpretation in English (or other language). For a Muslim, the book should never be read directly from an English translation.

 Out of respect for that tradition, I’m going to postpone the reading you suggested until we can plan to have someone, perhaps an Imam in some joint worship experience, read it for us.

 I don’t want to let go of the idea, however. In the Contemporary Issues class on Sept. 19 we’re going to discuss the plan for a mosque near Ground Zero, and we’ll follow that, beginning Sept. 26, with a four-week study of Islam. Sometime in mid October might be exactly right for something more substantial in our worship service.

That's the right reason, one I'd vaguely wondered about myself, and I'm okay with it. I have asked to give a brief preview of it tomorrow, and if I can't do it from the lectern, I will do it through our post-service "three cups of coffee" (we are Methodist, after all) with as many of the congregation as I can work my way to.

Meanwhile, the shows of support for the idea, from Friends here, elsewhere online, and in "real life" (as if this is any less real), have been numerous and touching. Thank you for everything from liking to sharing.

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Also first said elsewhere, not that she's on here much these days: If I'm doing the math right: add up how sweet she is (a lot), how funny (even more), how dedicated to her work and friends and fam (all of the above), then divide that total by how long I've actually spent with her IRL (three minutes, give or take), and, yes! Rachel must be my favorite person in the whole world! At least today she is, anyway: happy birthday, m'dear! ::hugs::