HRW comments:
Jay Smith arrives at his conclusion in similar methods as the author of "Mohammed and Charlemagne Revisited", Emmet Scott. Scott argues correctly that the written records cannot be taken at their face value, and must be supported by archaeology.
Smith also mentions "Tom Holland's "Islam, the untold story" featured on UKChannel4 - once, and pulled from second airing after fierce uproar from muhammedan community.
Smith takes pride in the fact that his lectures instigated Holland's research and production of this video. Unfortunately, I was not impressed with Holland's documentary. Weak tea compared to Smith's daring thesis. On a positive note, Holland's documentary does feature Patricia Crone, linguist extraordinaire - often referred to by Hugh Fitzgerald at JihadWatch.org as well.
After all this....I now must revisit Robert Spencer's book questioning whether that prophet ever even existed at all. I suspect he is also of similar mind to Smith, Scott, Holland, etc. FWIW...I've also bookmarked the following link from years passed at Ibloga...the origninal source link has since been scrubbed...
2008: Lost Quran archive in Germany
Jay Smith arrives at his conclusion in similar methods as the author of "Mohammed and Charlemagne Revisited", Emmet Scott.
ReplyDeleteScott argues correctly that the written records cannot be taken at their face value, and must be supported by archaeology.
Smith also mentions "Tom Holland's "Islam, the untold story" featured on UKChannel4 - once, and pulled from second airing after fierce uproar from muhammedan community. Smith takes pride in the fact that his lectures instigated Holland's research and production of this video.
Unfortunately, I was not impressed with Holland's documentary. Weak tea compared to Smith's daring thesis. On a positive note, Holland's documentary does feature Patricia Crone, linguist extraordinaire - often referred to by Hugh Fitzgerald at JihadWatch.org as well.
After all this....I now must revisit Robert Spencer's book questioning whether that prophet ever even existed at all. I suspect he is also of similar mind to Smith, Scott, Holland, etc.
FWIW...I've also bookmarked the following link from years passed at Ibloga...the origninal source link has since been scrubbed...
2008: Lost Quran archive in Germany
-HRW
Thank you for giving your perspective.
ReplyDeleteHey, HRW, what do you mean by "the original source link has been scrubbed? Scrubbed from what?
ReplyDeleteI would like to revisit a few items.
ReplyDeleteI do believe Muhammad was an historical figure, I mean he existed and the basic accounts of his life and times are accurate.
I also believe that Muhammad is responsible for most of the Koran.
I also believe that Muhammad was first and foremost a political and military leader and his religious invigorations were subservient to his quest for power.
I also believe that Judaism was his point of departure for his own quasi-religious mash-up that resulted in Islam. He does not appear to have had much understanding of Christ.
I also believe that his dispensation is totally of Satan. Islam conquers where Christianity has been given up for loss and looses where we have taken up the cross and sworn to get it back. Call it Crusades, or denigrate it how you will. We have the means to prevail.
Do you want to win? You can become Muslim in 10 seconds. Either way you cannot sit the fence on this choice, Choose well!
Pasto, the original source was an article in the Wall Street Journal at the following link. It works. The problem was my original bookmark saved the link for "print article" which is no longer a valid link. The article was also posted in American Thinker.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120008793352784631
The Lost Archive
Missing for a half century, a cache of photos spurs sensitive research on Islam's holy text
By Andrew Higgins
Updated Jan. 12, 2
How many of the issues Jay Smith discusses will be proven by the study of these images of ancient versions of the koran-one prays that the doctrine will be destroyed by its own hand. -HRW
I do not embrace Jay Smith line of thought. I do believe that a historical Muhammad existed. I find his scholarship weak. Having mentored under a Sunni Mufti for a decade, there are things that a scholar will only share with a student he is grooming for a future role in the Muslim world.
ReplyDeleteArchaeology? The archaeology is in the millions of bones spread across multiple continents. The remains of edifices and stone artifacts do not tell the story. The story is in the dried marrow of the bones of the millions who have been killed in the name of a god.