[Dean's World] Ali Eteraz: PRESS RELEASE: Eteraz.org Launches Anti-Fundamentalist Fundraiser

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Posted by Ali Eteraz:
PRESS RELEASE: Eteraz.org Launches Anti-Fundamentalist Fundraiser
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1171937180.shtml


   Please pass to interested journalists.

   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

   Eteraz.org Launches Anti-Fundamentalist Fundraiser

   NEW YORK, NY 02/18/2007âIn an effort to counter the influence of
   radical Islamic doctrine in the US & UK, Muslim activist organization
   and think tank Eteraz.org has launched a fundraiser to provide
   modernist translations of the Quran to Western mosques, Muslim
   chaplaincies, and student associations. âToday, the translation of the
   Quran most commonly found in Muslim institutions in the US is âThe
   Noble Quranâ, a Saudi-sponsored text that interprets the Quran
   according to a very conservative doctrine. Thatâs problematic,â says
   Eteraz.org founder Ali Eteraz. âWe want to provide Muslims with a more
   modernist translation so that people can make up their own minds about
   controversial verses. The Saudi interpretation shouldnât be the only
   interpretation available to modern Muslims. That interpretation
   inserts hateful references to Jews and Christians and does nothing to
   clarify Quranic verses regarding women's rights.â

   With this fundraising effort, Eteraz.org hopes to raise $30,000 to
   donate 1,000 copies of the Muhammad Asad translation of the Quran to
   US mosques and Islamic education programs free of charge. The
   translation typically retails for $55, making it prohibitively
   expensive for many institutions. âThe Muhammad Asad translation is
   considered the most authoritative English translation to date,â says
   Eteraz. âIt interprets the Quran based on primary sources and a
   thorough knowledge of classical Arabic, instead of the agenda of a
   certain sect.â While CAIR has been providing copies of the Asad
   translation of the Quran to non-Muslims at no charge for some time,
   this is the first effort to make it freely available to Muslims
   themselves who are the engine of Islamic Thought. âThe Saudi
   interpretation of the Quran is really the only interpretation a Muslim
   can get for free in the US,â claims Eteraz, âThis means that Islamic
   education programs stressed for resources have no choice but to
   promote the state doctrine of Saudi Arabia. Weâd like to change that.â

   Eteraz.org was founded in November of 2006 by a group of moderate and
   liberal Muslim writers, and has since received over 300,000 page
   views. The site provides commentary and analysis of Muslim issues by
   thinkers from across the political spectrum, as well as articles and
   op-eds by experts in Islamic law and human rights. It also provides a
   free space for its readers to sound off publicly. It is a global
   partner of the international activist network Avaaz.org, recently
   featured in the Economist.

   To donate, visit www.eteraz.org.

   Contact:

   Ali Eteraz eteraz at gmail dot com

   Haroon Moghul moghul at gmail dot com

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