Epigraph:

And if you are in doubt as to what We have sent down to Our servant, then produce a Chapter like it, and call upon your helpers beside Allah, if you are truthful. (Al Quran 2:24)

Hofburg Palace is a palace located in Vienna, Austria, that has housed some of the most powerful people in European and Austrian history, including the Habsburg dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria.

Source: Haaretz

FM announces bill to create unitary German-language version of Islam’s holy text; move comes day after Austria announces anti-terrorism measures.

DPA – The Austrian government plans a bill to create a standardized German-language version of the Koran, in order to prevent extremists from misusing the holy Muslim text, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said Saturday.

The bill was needed because Austrians should know the Koran’s content, said Kurz. Additionally, he argued mainstream Muslims are suffering because terrorists and their sympathizers are acting upon incorrect interpretations, said the minister, who is also responsible for integration policy.

A standardized Koran version is to be selected by Austria’s Islamic Religious Community, he told public radio Oe1. “We will be pushing for this vigorously,” he said. The provision on the Koran will be part of a bill to update Austria’s Islam Law from 1912.

Of the 500,000 Muslims in Austria, some 140 have joined the conflicts in Iraq and Syria as extremists, according to Kurz.

Earlier this week, the government presented an action plan against terrorist groups such as Islamic State. It includes: a ban on the groups’ symbols; revoking Austrian citizenship of extremist fighters who are double citizens; and stricter rules for minors who want to travel outside the European Union.

Read further

Additional Reading

The Best English translation of the Quran, by Sir Zafrulla Khan

Compilation of the Holy Quran into a text

Violence in the Bible and Jihad in the Quran

The Holy Quran as the Miracle of the Holy Prophet

Forty different simultaneous translations of the Holy Quran in English

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