--- Shane Little wrote: >
But to continue this analogy, since Muslims cannot
agree amongst themselves
what their religion entails, then isn't whatever I
write going to be
considered wrong by somebody? And since I cannot
write about it at all
without causing someone to object, should that take
away my right to write
it?
No, definitely not! But it does say to me that if you're going to write about Muslims, you should learn a bit about what the different groups are, and make sure that the descriptions you've got for them are right for the group you're writing about. Or to make the decision to throw all that information to one side, if you feel the story justifies it. But you should have the information to begin with.
An analogy might be drawn as follows. Supposing someone writes a story in which the crew encounter a group of Khomenist Muslims. A non-Khomenist Muslim might say - well they're not my kind of Muslim - but that isn't ground for offence. Now imagine the same story but instead of Khomenists, the Muslims are Amagons who are given a superficial Muslim coloration by the use of colourful oaths "By the prophet's beard, bring me the head of Kerr Avon or I will flay you alive !" I think a Muslim might have grounds for objecting to this sort of thing. Finally, imagine that a large body of literature exists in which these pseudo-Muslims regularly appear... Hence, I think, the reasons for Shane's disquiet.
Stephen.
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