A Reader's Response to "What Price Caution?"

-- Publishers Weekly, 8/26/2008 9:30:00 AM

Dear Sara Nelson,

As Americans, we are concerned about Freedom of Speech. However we have enough common sense to realize that our Freedom of Speech is limited by not being able to yell "fire!" in a crowded theater nor can we slander another person and harm his or her reputation without some sort of downside for us.

Sherry Jones wrote under the pretext of historical fiction. In regard to the historical aspect, instead of studying the primary sources, the history she reports accurately is information anyone could find on Wikipedia. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam coming some 600 years after Jesus, has an abundance of primary sources including the Quran and the Hadith.

One particular incident where Sherry Jones goes directly against the primary sources was in reference to a time when Aisha lost a necklace. She left the caravan to go and find it. Others in the caravan accused her of what they considered immoral behavior. The Quran then exonerated her and blamed the believers for not rejecting such a notion from a chaste young woman, saying:

"Why when you heard about it (about Aisha) thought not the ones who are male believers and the ones who are female believers the better of themselves and have said: This is a clear calumny." (24:12)

"Why have they not brought about four witnesses for it (that Aisha sinned)? As they bring not about witnesses, then with God, those, they are the ones who lie." (24:13)

"When you received it on your tongues and said with your mouths of what you had no knowledge, you assumed it insignificant while it was serious with God. And why, when you heard it (the lie against Aisha), said you not: It is not for us to assert this. Glory be to Thee! This is a serious false charge to harm the reputation of another." (24:

15-16)

Now we have Sherry Jones saying what Aisha's accusers said almost 1500 years ago.

At a time when moderate Muslim women like myself and millions like me are trying to bring our culture back from the darkness of tribalism, prevalent before Islam, to the light of civilization, prevalent during and after the life of the Prophet, and the tragic effects of honor killings or false accusations against Muslim women to harm their reputation, Sherry Jones joins the tribalists to make a buck by

yelling: Fire!

How far does Freedom of Speech go before it becomes slander and "a serious false charge to harm the reputation of another?"

Laleh Bakhtiar, Ph. D.
Translator of the Sublime Quran
www.sublimequran.org