One of my classmates was listening to the Koran a while back in the Chemical Engineering lab. If was a time of high stress for us with final project due soon. I didn't know what it was, but I found it relaxing and mildly hypnotic. I don't know any Middle Eastern languages so I couldn't even catch an occasional word or meaning. I finally asked her what she was listening to and when she told me (I'll be honest) I was surprised. I'm personally agnostic(ish), but believe we all have the right to our own beliefs. I felt a certain beauty and sense of peace from listening to the Koran that I'd never felt from any other religion (I've been to several churches of varying faiths). Even if you don't believe other religions, I think there's value to the teachings and beauty that is present. I still don't follow any religions, but I have a deeper understanding now of what religion can mean to others.
Nicole — March 23, 2011
why that sounds so REASONABLE. wouldn't think it listening to a lot of the rhetoric flying around these days. maybe if people READ a little more....
Khadijah — March 23, 2011
The video is pretty cool and it is really something. Arabic is a really beautiful (musical) language, that I unfortunately cannot understand nor speak.
Anybody who has mastered another language or studied languages will know the subtleties that exist uniquely to a particular language, you might even notice the unique subtleties of English, compared to other languages.
I have read the Quran my entire life but I can never claim to have actually 'read' the Quran, because I have not studied Arabic. The Quran is never translated, all copies of 'translations' are considered as interpretations only (hence they bear the names of their translators).
For someone as Ms Hazleton and anybody who says they have read the Quran in 3 weeks, I would not believe it (they have read the interpretations of the Quran, yes).
I spent the first decade of my life, learning the letters and rules of pronunciation in the Quran.
I spent the second decade of my life, memorizing the verses in Arabic.
Currently in the 3rd decade of my life, attempting to match the verses to the interpreted meanings.
Hopefully in my 40s I will be able to acquire a better understanding of the Quran and its meaning.
Anonymous — March 23, 2011
Too bad religion is all bullshit.
Jeanette — March 24, 2011
Yeah, I bet the part where Lot offers his daughters to be raped sounds really nice and rhythmic in Arabic.
Zee — March 24, 2011
I read the Quran (in Arabic) many years ago and was about as impressed with it as I was with the bible, which is, not very. Both are beautiful if you're looking for it, both are interesting historical texts, but there is very little, in my opinion, of worth outside of whatever meaning you find with your own personal interpretation.
Being enamored with religious dogma because it sounds or looks pretty is about as bad as being an "Islamophobe".
Craig — March 25, 2011
I drafted a response to this video here: http://www.equinoxjournals.com/blog/2011/03/romanticizing-the-quran/
emily — March 26, 2011
different perspective here... to some extent I appreciate her message and her willingness to spend time with the text (though I tend to agree with Zee about "being enamored w/ religious dogma, etc..."). I appreciate that she allows us to take a little time to listen and look and find beauty in something that has been maligned as difficult, violent, oppressive. However, I'm bothered that she sets it up against the Bible, i.e. that she feels she has to malign the Bible to make the Koran look good. I'm particularly bothered by this b/c she clearly hasn't studied the Bible - it says very similar things about paradise (streams of water, re-creation, renewal, fecundity). I just finished a master's degree studying this, and I'm unimpressed that someone speaking at TED would just rely on unfounded stereotypes of the Bible while trying to unstereotype the Koran. It's poor scholarship, and it's just, well, trendy.
CTD — March 30, 2011
So, slaughtering people who don't believe what you do is ok as long it a) sounds pretty when reading it in Arabic and b) there are some caveats? OK...
This is nothing more than dew-eyed romanticizing of blood-soaked dark age superstitions.
Sociological Images encourages people to exercise and develop their sociological imaginations with discussions of compelling visuals that span the breadth of sociological inquiry. Read more…
Comments 22
Lynne Skysong — March 23, 2011
One of my classmates was listening to the Koran a while back in the Chemical Engineering lab. If was a time of high stress for us with final project due soon. I didn't know what it was, but I found it relaxing and mildly hypnotic. I don't know any Middle Eastern languages so I couldn't even catch an occasional word or meaning. I finally asked her what she was listening to and when she told me (I'll be honest) I was surprised. I'm personally agnostic(ish), but believe we all have the right to our own beliefs. I felt a certain beauty and sense of peace from listening to the Koran that I'd never felt from any other religion (I've been to several churches of varying faiths). Even if you don't believe other religions, I think there's value to the teachings and beauty that is present. I still don't follow any religions, but I have a deeper understanding now of what religion can mean to others.
Nicole — March 23, 2011
why that sounds so REASONABLE. wouldn't think it listening to a lot of the rhetoric flying around these days. maybe if people READ a little more....
Khadijah — March 23, 2011
The video is pretty cool and it is really something. Arabic is a really beautiful (musical) language, that I unfortunately cannot understand nor speak.
Anybody who has mastered another language or studied languages will know the subtleties that exist uniquely to a particular language, you might even notice the unique subtleties of English, compared to other languages.
I have read the Quran my entire life but I can never claim to have actually 'read' the Quran, because I have not studied Arabic. The Quran is never translated, all copies of 'translations' are considered as interpretations only (hence they bear the names of their translators).
For someone as Ms Hazleton and anybody who says they have read the Quran in 3 weeks, I would not believe it (they have read the interpretations of the Quran, yes).
I spent the first decade of my life, learning the letters and rules of pronunciation in the Quran.
I spent the second decade of my life, memorizing the verses in Arabic.
Currently in the 3rd decade of my life, attempting to match the verses to the interpreted meanings.
Hopefully in my 40s I will be able to acquire a better understanding of the Quran and its meaning.
Anonymous — March 23, 2011
Too bad religion is all bullshit.
Jeanette — March 24, 2011
Yeah, I bet the part where Lot offers his daughters to be raped sounds really nice and rhythmic in Arabic.
Zee — March 24, 2011
I read the Quran (in Arabic) many years ago and was about as impressed with it as I was with the bible, which is, not very. Both are beautiful if you're looking for it, both are interesting historical texts, but there is very little, in my opinion, of worth outside of whatever meaning you find with your own personal interpretation.
Being enamored with religious dogma because it sounds or looks pretty is about as bad as being an "Islamophobe".
Craig — March 25, 2011
I drafted a response to this video here: http://www.equinoxjournals.com/blog/2011/03/romanticizing-the-quran/
emily — March 26, 2011
different perspective here... to some extent I appreciate her message and her willingness to spend time with the text (though I tend to agree with Zee about "being enamored w/ religious dogma, etc..."). I appreciate that she allows us to take a little time to listen and look and find beauty in something that has been maligned as difficult, violent, oppressive. However, I'm bothered that she sets it up against the Bible, i.e. that she feels she has to malign the Bible to make the Koran look good. I'm particularly bothered by this b/c she clearly hasn't studied the Bible - it says very similar things about paradise (streams of water, re-creation, renewal, fecundity). I just finished a master's degree studying this, and I'm unimpressed that someone speaking at TED would just rely on unfounded stereotypes of the Bible while trying to unstereotype the Koran. It's poor scholarship, and it's just, well, trendy.
CTD — March 30, 2011
So, slaughtering people who don't believe what you do is ok as long it a) sounds pretty when reading it in Arabic and b) there are some caveats? OK...
This is nothing more than dew-eyed romanticizing of blood-soaked dark age superstitions.