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Message: <br /><br /> If you are having trouble reading this email, you may view this article online at: http://www.jweekly.com/15985/full/15985/coexistence-author-forced-into-hiding-after-death-threats/ <br /><br /> <b>Coexistence author forced into hiding after death threats</b> <br /> Friday, July 13, 2001 | by <p>SHARON SAMBER </p> <br /><br /><p>WASHINGTON—The book designed to explain the Muslim faith to Jews was published in May, the death threat came in June, and the author is now huddled out of sight in a safe house.<br /><br /> Jewish and Muslim groups, meanwhile, are left to ponder what can happen next to make the situation any worse.<br /><br /> The irony of the situation is rich: A book conceived by the American Jewish Committee to advance Muslim-Jewish understanding may in fact end up exacerbating tension between the faiths.<br /><br /> A fatwa, or religious edict, was issued by a Muslim cleric to "shed the blood" of the author, Professor Khalid Duran, but later was clarified as merely a call to investigate him.<br /><br /> Depending on the findings of the probe, though, Duran still could be declared fit for killing.<br /><br /> The AJC condemned the edict by Sheik Abd-al-Mun'im Abu Zant, a leader in the militant Islamic Action Front, an opposition party in Jordan.<br /><br /> "In a free society, no one should tolerate the threat to kill an author," said David A. Harris, executive director of the AJC, which published the book—"Children of Abraham: An Introduction to Islam for Jews"—plus a companion volume explaining Judaism to Muslims.<br /><br /> "All Americans, not least Muslims, should immediately speak out against this outrage and assault on democratic society," Harris said.<br /><br /> The other volume in the series, "Children of Abraham: An Introduction to Judaism for Muslims," was written by Reuven Firestone, a professor and rabbi at Hebrew Union College.<br /><br /> Firestone's book has not attracted much media attention, and is considered an innocuous primer on Judaism.<br /><br /> But Duran has been under scrutiny from the start. A leading analyst of Islam and politics, he has written six books and has taught at Temple University and American University, but also is something of a polarizing figure in the Muslim world.<br /><br /> The Washington-based Council of American Islamic Relations, which has voiced support for militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, attacked Duran's book even before it was published.<br /><br /> Arab newspapers took up the issue, denouncing Duran for supposedly spreading "anti-Muslim propaganda."<br /><br /> The AJC called such attacks "nothing more than incitement and character assassination."<br /><br /> Daniel Pipes, director of the conservative Middle East Forum, praised Duran for being a "free-thinking Muslim."<br /><br /> "His is a rare and welcome voice of Muslim liberalism at a time when radicals dominate the mosques, the media and the counsels of state," Pipes said.<br /><br /> Although Duran's book was reviewed and approved by Islamic scholars before publication, and has been well received by trade publications, some have questioned his scholarship.<br /><br /> Hussein Ibish, communications director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, maintains that Duran is not a reputable scholar and calls his book "bizarre."<br /><br /> But Ibish admits that he finds the incident troubling, and said it cannot help already tense relations between Jews and Muslims.<br /><br /> "Intolerance is spreading like wildfire on both sides," Ibish said.<br /><br /> Duran reportedly has left his home in suburban Washington, D.C., for a safe house with 24-hour private security, and his telephone line has been disconnected.</p> <p> </p>

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