Muslim Scholars Attack TV Show

Do Islamic suicide bombers blow themselves to bits in order to enjoy paradise with 70 virgins?

Such motivations are frequently cited in news reports on bombers, and frequently denied as authentic tradition by Islamic scholars, who complain that the image is bandied about to dehumanize Muslims.

Now a Los Angeles Muslim organization is charging that CBS’ “60 Minutes” went so far as to doctor the English interpretation of an interview with a Palestinian suicide bomber to make it appear that he cited virgins as a motivation.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council said a five-member Arabic-speaking team listened to the Palestinian’s remarks, which were broadcast Sunday. The show’s voice-over interpretation had him saying, “If you become a martyr, God will give you 70 virgins, 70 wives and everlasting happiness.” But the five-member team reported that the Palestinian cited the Israeli occupation and a love of his land as reasons for his desire to become a martyr.

“For Palestinians, this is about fighting aggression and occupation, not about seeking opportunities for sexual fantasies,” Salam Al-Marayati of the Muslim council said Friday.

The council has asked the CBS news show to retract the interpretation or, if claiming the interview was truncated, to supply the unedited tape.

Annie Mooney, “60 Minutes” assistant producer, said the show stood by its story. She referred further questions to “60 Minutes” producer Don Hewitt, who would not be available until Monday.

The dispute raises questions about just what the 1,400-year-old Islamic tradition actually says about the rewards of martyrdom and where the sensational image of virgins in paradise comes from.

Mohammed Al Hanooti, a member of the Islamic Jurisprudence Council of North America, said the story suddenly popped up in the 8th and 9th centuries as an alleged verbatim account of the Prophet Muhammad’s words, but most scholars--including himself--do not accept it as an authentic.

The story appeared about 200 years after the prophet died and the chain of transmission through the ages included significant missing links and transmitters known to be fabricators, according to Khaled Abou El Fadl, a UCLA acting professor of Islamic law.

But Abou El Fadl, who researched the issue for a book on Islamic rebellions, said the Arabic in another source of the story, the Koran, could be read as either promising martyrs the company of virgins or blessed, purified souls.

According to Abou El Fadl, many militant Islamic leaders have embraced the virgin interpretation. He said they include Sayyid Qutb, the spiritual head of the Muslim Brotherhood who was executed by the Egyptian government in the 1960s, members of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and Saudi militant Osama Bin Laden.