Koran

There's a long tradition of illustrating scenes from the Bible -- even a version of Genesis by alternative comics master R. Crumb. But the Koran, which Muslims consider to be the holy word of God, has never incorporated images of people or animals, according to Linda Komaroff, curator of Islamic art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. "It simply wasn't the kind of thing that would come up," she said, "In Islam, like Judaism, there's one...

Hundreds of angry protesters in Afghanistan's capital burned an effigy of President Obamaon Sunday, acting on rumors that American troops had desecrated the Koran. U.S. military officials emphatically denied that any copies of the Muslim holy book had been mishandled, and accused the Taliban of spreading falsehoods to incite hatred against Western forces. But the protest -- reminiscent of similar demonstrations in Iraq and elsewhere in the Muslim world in recent years -- showed how easily passions involving religious sensitivities can be stirred up even with a dearth of evidence.

U.S. commanders moved swiftly to avert a crisis after a soldier deployed in Baghdad was found to have used a copy of the Koran for target practice. The incident had the potential to inflame Muslim opinion against the U.S. military and compromise the delicate alliance it has been forging with Sunni Arab communities against religious extremists. Local leaders accepted an apology from senior U.S.

An explosion destroyed a three-story girls dormitory in central Turkey, killing at least 17 students, injuring 27 and setting off a frantic search for others trapped in the rubble. Rescuers working late into the night pulled out two survivors, leaving at least one girl unaccounted for. Officials said about 45 girls between the ages of 8 and 16 were staying at the dormitory as they attended Koran courses during the summer school break. A leaking pipe carrying liquefied petroleum gas is believed to have caused the predawn blast.

Jordanian police arrested a writer in Amman on Tuesday for incorporating verses of the Koran, the Muslim holy book, into his love poetry, a judicial official said. The poet, Islam Samhan, published his collection of poems, "Grace Like a Shadow," without the approval of the Jordanian government, and authorities say it insults the holy book, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Samhan was charged with harming the Islamic faith and violating the press and publication law for combining the sacred words of the Koran with sexual themes.

When talk-show host Dennis Prager wrote a column in November decrying a congressman-elect's decision to take his oath of office on the Koran rather than the Bible, he argued that it would "embolden Islamic extremists and make new ones." In a column for Townhall.com, Prager wrote that Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the first Muslim elected to Congress, "should not be allowed" to swear on the Koran because "the act undermines American civilization."

A Koran written in 1203, believed to be the oldest known complete copy, has sold for more than $2.3 million at an auction. The holy book, which had been estimated to sell for up to $715,000, fetched $2,327,300 at Tuesday's auction in London, Christie's said, calling it a record auction price for a Koran or any type of Islamic manuscript. A nearly complete, 10th century Kufic Koran, thought to be from North Africa or the near East, sold for $1,870,000.

Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr. (R-Va.) on Thursday stood by his demand for strict immigration controls that he said would prevent Muslims from being elected to Congress and using the Koran during swearing-in ceremonies. Islamic groups in the United States called on Republicans to repudiate Goode's remarks, which he first made in a letter attacking the use of the holy book in a ceremonial oath-taking next month by the first Muslim elected to the House.

International Muslim groups and leaders of several predominantly Islamic countries Saturday called on the United States to investigate a report that American troops had desecrated the Koran. The 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference said it had written to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressing "astonishment and dismay" over the report. Newsweek magazine said in its May 9 edition that investigators looking into abuses at the U.S.

Newsweek magazine acknowledged Sunday that there were errors in a story reporting that U.S. interrogators had desecrated the Koran while attempting to extract intelligence from Muslim prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The report led to a series of violent anti-American protests and at least 14 deaths in Afghanistan. In its issue set to hit U.S.