Shanon Brooks and Abdur-Rahman Abou Almajd in dialog about What every American needs to know about the Qur'an

Shanon Brooks and Abdur-Rahman Abou Almajd in dialog about What every American needs to know about the Qur'an .                        

We have a fresh opportunity to reflect about What every American needs to know about the Qur'an, especially in the US .

At this point Shanon Brooks isn’t going to speak about his views on that book but he also speaks about the Qur'an too .

Shanon Brooks

Shanon Brooks is the President of Monticello College, a founding partner of the Center for Social Leadership. He co-authored Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens .

Q: First of all I wonder what made you focus on the Qur'an ?

Do you explore the Qur'an? How did you find it ? 

SB: I have been a novice student of religion for years.  I believe that a serious student would really have to spend time in the various cultures and geographies to really get a religion under the skin.  I have traveled but I have not had the opportunity to really get to know the Muslim people in the same way that I understand Christianity .  

I have a real desire to understand all religions and be instrumental in helping all of us to focus on our similarities rather than our differences .

I found myself most recently focusing on the Qur'an primarily because so many are attacking it.  I have a good friend Ambassador Mark Siljander who is a real proponent of “let’s understand each other before we kill each other .” 

Q: You have traveled but you say that you, “have not had the opportunity to really get to know the Muslim people.” Could you elaborate on that please ?

SB: I just mean that to really understand a people and thus their religion, I believe it requires one to live among them for an extended period of time.  Although I have traveled a little in the Middle East and have interviewed both Arabs and Israelis, I don’t really understand them nor do I pretend to understand the depth of their religious beliefs .

Q: In a Beginner’s Review of the Qur’an Part 1: Context Matters, Could you elaborate on “what every American needs to know about the Qur'an ?”

SB: I was simply making the point that translations matter, historical background matters, in fact, as I understand it, reading the Qur'an in anything but the original Arabic is considered blasphemous .

Having some acquaintance with languages, I understand how much can be lost from one language to another.  When we don’t take the time to become familiar with the historical background, the culture, the geography, the written classics  of a thing, and use the media as our primary or only source for understanding a religion or anything for that matter, we become puppets of whoever is spouting the information .

Q: You said that you understand that, reading the Qur'an in anything but the original Arabic is considered blasphemous. Why do you think that ?

SB: Maybe it’s just misinformation, but 15 years ago, at a convention in Geneva, Switzerland, I purchased my first Qur'an.  At that time the Muslim who sold it to me stated that this was only a translation and not the real Qur'an, as that could only be in Arabic .

Q: You said :I discovered that many of the suras quoted by Federer were done so out of context " what do you mean ?"

SB: Again, I am trying to show that history is necessary to understand things.  When a person just reads the Qur'an, it could sound very violent and as if the muslims are against all other people.  A little historic research shows that a good portion of the Qur'an is a history or commentary on the two or three Muslim civil wars.  This would mean that Muslims of one ideology were accusing Muslims of another ideology of being unfaithful – infidel . 

Most non-Muslims are unaware of this history .

Q: You say that “most non-Muslims are unaware of this history.” Could you elaborate on this please ?

SB: Well, it is no secret that we teach history very poorly in this country, especially history of foreign countries and religions.  If we spent half as much time on accurate religious history as we do on alternative lifestyles and multi-culturalism, we could end 90% of world conflict .

Q: You've criticized William J. Federer for incorrect quotes. Do you agree that all the while attacking Islam and Muslims. This is not a well researched book, it is a one-sided hatchet job ? 

SB: Well it certainly is a viewpoint.  I don’t know how well he researched it or what his political leanings are, but I do know that it is hard to win peace and cooperation with others while attacking them .

Q: Do you think all the Qur'an are killing and swards and no thing else ?  

SB: Take any religion. Take mine for instance.  As an honest Christian, I have to acknowledge that although today, in most parts of the world Christianity is peace loving and promotes love and tolerance, the fact remains that for hundreds of years during the Christian crusades, hundreds of thousands were murdered in the name of Christ .

Every religion has its skeletons in the closet—because we are human.  As men try to come closer to God thru the various religions, we are prone to error and misjudgment.  So no, I don’t think that the Qur'an only promotes murder and bad things for all non-Muslims.  I have many Muslim friends. Not one of them has threatened me, or condemned my religion.  We all have kids, and spouses and homes and lives.  We all want to provide service to others and help our communities .

However, I do think that in the past and even today there are individuals who will use any religion or power or government to rule and control others—but that is the story of the history of the world . 

Q: There are many Muslim translators such as Pickthall, Yosuf Ali and Abdel Haleem , I wonder why you focus on Saheeh International .

SB: Honestly, I just wanted to make my point with the most accessible online version of the Qur'an I could find.  It was the first one that came up on Google .

Q: Do you think The Qur'an is influenced by Manichaeism Influence, Zoroastrain Influence, Arab Pagan Influence, Christian Influence, Jewish Influence and Apocryphal Influence ?

SB: Although I am somewhat familiar these perspectives, it will take  several more years of study before I even would venture an opinion regarding their influence on the Qur'an.  I am certainly no expert and I am not a Muslim.  I will get into trouble with scholars for this, but I am not even sure if a non-Muslim can give an accurate judgment on Muslim scripture .

Q: Why do you think Christian writers on Islam and its Prophet often have a negative view of both? And what about the Jewish writers ?

SB: Fear, greed, pride, jealous, avarice, you name it.  Why do different branches of Christianity fight so much?  Why do the Shiites and Sunnis fight so much?  Why do husbands and wives fight ?

Whenever we put ourselves ahead of others, whenever we value our own wants and needs before others, the result will always be contention . 

I am aware of some Jewish authors who are very anti-Muslim and some who advocate co-existence and peace. It all depends on a person’s life experience and sense of self-worth.  If I want power and gain, I am going to promote contention.  If I want peace and social security, I will promote cooperation.  Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to politics and governments, I agree with President Ronald Reagan—Trust but verify.  But when it comes to people, one-on-one relationships between children of God (that’s all of us), we must begin to put others before ourselves and get educated.  Fear is the child of ignorance .

 Abdur-Rahman: Great, Thank you very much .

SB: My pleasure. As-salamu 'alaykum .