Rare Islamic text collection to go online

[Karin]

*PRINCETON, N.J. - In a marriage of new technology and old documents, a vast treasure trove of information about life in the early Islamic world is about to go online, enabling Muslims, scholars and the merely curious to peer into a window on the faith’s rich history. *
*Numbering more than 10,000 texts, Princeton University’s collection of handwritten Islamic documents, books and letters is the largest in North America. They date from the eighth and ninth centuries - soon after the faith was founded - to the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1900s; most have gone unseen outside New Jersey for nearly a century. *

*Now the university is starting a four-year project to categorize the entire collection, and to digitize and post online about 200 of the most important works so that scholars around the world can study them *
**READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE ** (SOURCE)

 

[melbourne_guy]

carefactor = 0

 

[Karin]

melbourne_guy:

carefactor = 0

**well perhaps when you mature past the age of 18 and realize the world does not revolve around “you” you will notice that perhaps some people do care **

 

[melbourne_guy]

This is a catholic forum, y would u even post that?

 

[Karin]

melbourne_guy:

This is a catholic forum, y would u even post that?

If you want Catholic posts do not go looking in the “NON-CATHOLIC RELIGION” forum also not all posts on these forums are about Catholics or Catholic topics…some are about OTHER things (gasp)

 

[oat_soda]

i think it would be good for some critical analysis of this stuff. we can understand better the origins of islam and raise questions to its authenticity. i imagine that because mohammedmen are so repressive, any critical analysis or questioning of thier faith can lead to one’s death.

so, this is a good thing because i don’t think we know enough about this religion.

 

[Lance]

I hope Princeton University is not using any tax dollars to fund this.

 

[Karin]

Lance:

I hope Princeton University is not using any tax dollars to fund this.

Oh Lance…
What difference does that make. If it was Catholic Documents/Text etc. would you ask the same question?

 

[MrS]

If this is like the collection I read about recently… it may not make current Islamic translation of the Quran very credible…

I had read that these older documents show that there has been a change made (intentionally???) in the Quran translation over the centuries.

And if I remember right, the other documents were extensively photographed for future study with the suspicion that once they were delivered to the museum (and they have been), they would be “unavailable” for scholars to study and compare.

This could be an interesting development (of the pictures, and of the availability).

 

[Karin]

**From my understanding from articles written about this…**The collection was amassed mostly by a Princeton University alumnus in the late 1800s and given to the university in 1942. Written in Arabic script in Persian, Turkish and other languages, the manuscripts are stored in special climate-controlled vaults guarded by an elaborate security system (SOURCE)

 

[Darrel]

Lance:

I hope Princeton University is not using any tax dollars to fund this.

lol,

I must say I totally agree.

-D

 

[Karin]

Looking at the Princeton Library website…it is a “grant funded project”
I guess in your eyes the tax payers are wasting their tax money?!?!
Well I would rather have it wasted on this than some of the other things we waste or use our tax money for.

 

[George_Waters]

Karin,

Thanks for posting this. I am interested and will be curious about what we can learn about Islam from these sources.

As far as tax dollars being used for this, I see little issue with it. Promoting history, culture and understanding is not a bad thing. I am more concerned with our governments funding of abortions than something like this. Different priorities I guess…

Peace,

George

 

[Karin]

George Waters:

Karin,

Thanks for posting this. I am interested and will be curious about what we can learn about Islam from these sources.

As far as tax dollars being used for this, I see little issue with it. Promoting history, culture and understanding is not a bad thing. I am more concerned with our governments funding of abortions than something like this. Different priorities I guess…

Peace,

George

**very well said **

 

[r.gonzales]

i think it’ll be interesting to see some of the titles and authors of the works that they’re going make available online, as well as how many of these works will be checked and verified by some of the better checkers and verifiers from the muslim scholars alive today.

thanks for posting the info karin.

 

[Lance]

Karin:

Oh Lance…
What difference does that make. If it was Catholic Documents/Text etc. would you ask the same question?

Yes!

 

[Karin]

Lance:

Yes!

And would it bother you then? If it was Catholic Documents/texts funded by Tax money?

 

[Lance]

Karin:

And would it bother you then? If it was Catholic Documents/texts funded by Tax money?

I thought I made that clear but yes it would bother me.

 

[Karin]

Lance:

I thought I made that clear but yes it would bother me.

Nope not clear he first time but it is now.

 

[LatinCat]

Lance:

I hope Princeton University is not using any tax dollars to fund this.

TEXT DELETED…from a historical perspective, Princeton is in engaging a worthy **ACADEMIC **endevour.

Moderator note: Removed uncharitable comments…