In what officially Muslim countries is it both technically legal and also actually safe...

[Boojatta]

to own a Bible that consists of both the OT and the NT?

What's the answer to the same question but in reference to a single bound book that consists of the OT, the NT, and the Koran?

Edited to add a third question: what's the answer to the same question but in reference to a single bound book that consists of the NT and the Koran?

[kurth]

1. Owning is not a problem, it's selling

in some countries.

[Boojatta]

2. Is that the correct answer to just the first question?

[kurth]

5. Lots of Bible-reading American expats live and work in Muslim countries

and I'm sure they still have their Bibles.

It's even safe to own a Bible in Iran:
Armenian churches host Bible conference in Teheran
IRAN — A committee in Iran representing the Armenian Church, the Chaldean Church, the Armenian Evangelical Church and the Armenian Catholic Church has held a three-day conference on the Bible...
http://www.biblesociety.org/wr_393/393_05.htm

[Boojatta]

6. Are you sure that the conditions under which some people who

live and work in a given country are the same conditions that apply to all people who live in that country?

I'm interested in the law as it applies to even the most despised individual in a given country and not just as it applies to foreigners who are given official welcome because they have special skills that are valued.

[Boojatta]

7. Doesn't a prohibition against selling something that you own...

violate your ownership rights and also potentially violate the rights of other people as well?

What if it were illegal for a white person who owns a home in the USA to sell it to an African-American?

[LiberalFighter]

9. People don't have the same property rights in other countries as the USA

[sam sarrha]

3. technically.. any people with a "Book" can live in their own Ghetto* if they respect Muslim law and

customs... but that looks like it is up to interpretation today. in the past there were various conditions.

*American Heritage Dictionary #2... don't flame me..

[Boojatta]

4. Isn't it possible for "respecting Muslim law and customs" to mean

(in some countries) not possessing a copy of The Satanic Verses? When you say "a book" do you mean specifically the scriptures of a religion, such as Bahai?

[sam sarrha]

8. yes and no.. a book dictated by god to a chosen prophet.. The Buddhists dont count because in the

Buddha's day they had an Oral history.. people could remember vast volumes without error.. such as in the Roman's day.. the census guy remembered everyones name and info..

the Pueblo Peoples have a similar tradition, i was told by a spiritual teacher that the clans meet in the Kiva's and trained and constantly checked everyones recollection of the 'story of the Peoples', a verbal history going back to before the ice age.

the Buddhists were horribly persecuted in the areas taken over by Muslims in the invasions of india, it is said a Buddhist had to carry a bowl under his chin and drag a broom behind them anywhere they went, to prevent their spittle and their foot prints from defiling the earth.

i have heard the Baha'i haven't faired well in many places.. i kinda get the the impression the book is of the prophet Abraham for some... i really cant recall any other major group.. but their may be

[grantcart]

10. The entire premise of the OP suffers from a terrible misconception

The three largest Islamic countries are Indonesia, Pakistan, Bengledesh. There are more muslims in China than Saudi Arabia.

Islam is fundamentally Asian religion by population. You have formed an opinion of Islam based on the more authoriatarian states in the Middle East.

In Indonesia there is an official religious doctrine which is called Pancasila basically it puts all monotheistic religions on the same footing, although Islam is the most dominant.

All major religions are tolerated and have freedom.

Many other Islamic countries, like Malaysia have significant Christian minorities and there are few problems.


In the Koran it pays respect to religions of the Book meaning Christians and Jews, but I think publishing them in the same book would be considered highly offensive and blasphemous. Even in very tolerant countries like Malaysia you can get into trouble when you stray out of your religious tradition and try to combine it with Islam.

[Boojatta]

11. "You have formed an opinion of Islam"

If I had asked about Islam, the Original Post would still consist of questions, and would not consist of comments expressing an opinion.

However, I asked about countries. I didn't ask about Islam.

[grantcart]

12. You have words in quotations that I never used

The premise of your question is based on the common perception that Islamic Countries are largely intolerant of other religions. Some middle eastern countries are intolerant. The vast majority of Muslims live in countries that are very tolerant of the Bible.

If you combine works to be considered holy from religions outside of the Koran in the same binding as the Koran and they become aware of it you could face charges of blasphamy and these would exist even in the most tolerant countries. They are tolerant of you conducting your religion but if you try to synergize their holy writings with yours they will be very distressed. For this reason you will find that some groups that try to do this, like the Baha'i suffer persecution.

I lived in these countries and I worked with refugees who suffered from religious persecution.

I know of no country that will have any prohibition of you carrying a bible or any other religious books for your own personal study.

I know of no muslim country that would not take great offense of you having books that combined other religious writings with the Koran in the same binding. It will be considered sacraligious.

[Phx_Dem]

13. Malaysian airport customs seizes Bibles

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysian customs officials seized 32 Bibles from a traveler, a church federation said Monday, adding its voice to a raft of complaints that the Muslim-majority country is becoming less tolerant of other religions.

The Royal Malaysian Customs department, however, said it was only trying to determine if the Bibles were imported for commercial purposes.

Custom officials at an airport in Kuala Lumpur took the Bibles from a Malaysian woman Jan. 28 on her return from the Philippines, according to the Rev. Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia. She was carrying the Bibles for a study group, he said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22993135/from/ET/

[Boojatta]

14. Are there restrictions on printers in Malaysia?

It sounds as though it might be easier to make Bibles in Malaysia than to bring them into Malaysia. On the other hand, maybe not. It depends on what restrictions are imposed on people who print books in Malaysia.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. So it's legal to own Bibles, illegal to sell them?

Because that would be a sin to make a profit of of the Word of God?

Makes sense.

[Phx_Dem]

16. I think Malaysian law

considers selling or giving away Christian or Jewish bibles a form of proselytizing.

[Boojatta]

17. It doesn't make sense to me.

A non-profit organization could make and sell Bibles. Selling doesn't automatically mean profit.

If someone buys a Bible in country XYZ and gives it as a gift to someone in country ABC, then someone in country XYZ might have made a profit from the sale of that Bible. If you want to get deeper into it, then you might object to buying paper from a company in country ABC to make Bibles in country XYZ and give them away to people in country ABC. After all, although nobody in country ABC might have made profit from the Bible itself, someone in country ABC would have probably made a profit from the paper that was used to make the Bible.

Anyway, legislators who are satisfied with laws restricting the buying and selling of particular books are typically opposed to the ideas in those books. They are unlikely to classify those ideas as good or true or "the Word of God."

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. Uh...

isn't the Bible a holy book in Islam as well?

[grantcart]

19. I lived in Malaysia and there is no discrimination against Christians

Malays make up only 52% of the population with about 40% Chinese and 8% Indian. There is a large catholic and protestant population and also Hindu.

There is a religious police that enforces Islamic religious laws - but they only have jurisdiction on Muslims. For example it is possible for an ethnic Malay to get arrested for having a sexual liason outside of their marriage but it would not be possible for a non muslim to be arrested for that crime.

If you import 32 Bibles without an invoice it looks like you are trying to avoid duties. It has nothing to do with religion.