The Ellipses

Ellipses ("...") are useful devices in the English language for hiding inconvenient things. You often see them used in a critic's blurb for an unsuccessful play, book or movie, for example: "Tom Cruise displays a rare genius. . .in his latest film." Whereas the critic's actual statement might actually read, without the ellipsis: "Tom Cruise displays a rare genius for over-acting and scenery-chewing in his latest film."

Has the British Muslim Forum figured out the ellipsis trick so beloved by movie and Broadway show producers? The BBC has made much of their "fatwa" on the 7/7 London bombings:

Gul Mohammad, secretary general of the BMF, quoted the Koran saying: "Whoever kills a human being ... then it is as though he has killed all mankind; and whoever saves a human life it is as though he had saved all mankind."

He went on: "Islam's position is clear and unequivocal: murder of one soul is the murder of the whole of humanity; he who shows no respect for human life is an enemy of humanity.

(Emphasis in italics added by me.)

Who put the ellipsis in Mr. Gul Muhammad's quote from the Koran? Was it the BBC or the BMF itself? Either way, here's how the quote actually reads, from three well-known English translations of the Koran:

005.032 YUSUFALI: On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.

PICKTHAL: For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. Our messengers came unto them of old with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty), but afterwards lo! many of them became prodigals in the earth.

SHAKIR: For this reason did We prescribe to the children of
Israel that whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men; and certainly Our messengers came to them with clear arguments, but even after that many of them certainly act extravagantly in the land.

Italics are mine, to highlight for the reader the words that were obscured by the ellipsis in the BBC's report. "Spreading mischief in the land" is a very, very broad category of offenses indeed.

Update: Here is a BBC link to the full text of the "fatwa" issued by the British Muslim Forum, as reported in the article linked above. Notice that the ellipsis obscuring the "weasel words" in Koran verse 5:32 have disappeared, instead, the "weasel words" have been completely excised, without ellipsis to show they've been eliminated.

Most curious. Is the British Muslim Forum implying that Pickthal, Yusuf Ali and Shakir have got that particular verse wrong all these years? Funny how those three particular translations are considered to be classics in the field.

Most curious.

Update II, 7/20: Melanie Phillips has also noticed the missing language from 5:32 and concluded that the so-called "fatwa" is probably "not worth the paper it's printed on." She notes that a fanatical jihad-supporting mufti from Dewsbury was among the signers of the alleged fatwa.