Misinterpretation of a Mistranslation from the Author of “The Evolution of God”

Robert Wright, author of the bestselling book, “The Evolution of God,” and currently guestblogging for Andrew Sullivan, favors us with some Koranic exegesis:

Right-wing Web sites devoted to showing the “truth about Islam” array searing verses that seem to show the Koran offering a nearly unlimited license to kill. (A few years after 9/11, a list of “the Koran’s 111 Jihad verses” was posted on the conservative Web site freerepublic.com.) But the closer you look at the context of these verses, the more limited the license seems.

The passage most often quoted is the fifth verse of the ninth sura, long known to Muslims as the “Sword verse.” It was cited by Osama bin Laden in a famous manifesto issued in 1996, and on first reading it does seem to say that bin Laden would be justified in hunting down any non-Muslim on the planet. The verse is often translated colloquially—particularly on these right-wing Web sites—as “kill the infidels wherever you find them.”

This common translation is wrong. The verse doesn’t actually mention “infidels” but rather refers to “those who join other gods with God”—which is to say, polytheists. So, bin Laden notwithstanding, the “Sword verse” isn’t the strongest imaginable basis for attacking Christians and Jews.

Wright doesn’t inform us why he has chosen this particular moment to take issue with something the Freepers posted “a few years after 9/11.” Be that as it may, I certainly won’t dispute the claim that they are not the most credible interpreters of the prophet. However, Wright is on equally shaky ground with his assertion that “those who join other gods with God” doesn’t apply to Christians. In fact, Mohammed very explicitly included the vast majority of Christians who believe in the Trinity among “those who join other gods with God.” The Koran is actually brief compared to the Bible. Perhaps Wright should consider reading it.