Woman Receives Desecrated Quran Through Amazon.com

[ConfuZed]

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/4505304/detail.html?rss=la&psp=news

Muslim Public Affairs Council Wants Apology, Investigation

POSTED: 3:43 pm PDT May 18, 2005
UPDATED: 4:00 pm PDT May 18, 2005

LOS ANGELES -- A Muslim woman who ordered a Quran through Amazon.com only to find profanity and religious slurs written on its cover page said Wednesday she wants an apology and a full investigation by the online retailer.

Azza Basarudin, 30, said she received the Quran by mail on May 5 after ordering it through a used books division of Amazon.com that allows customers to order directly from third-party sellers approved by the company.

When she opened the Quaran, Basarudin said she found profanity and the phrase "Death to all Muslims"...

[Skittles]

1. disgusting

you'd think articles would be inspected before they are shipped

[Goldom]

7. used items from amazon

aren't sent from amazon - they're sold directly by individuals.

[blondeatlast]

12. That is what I thought as well. I don't buy used from Amazon

for that reason.

[lenidog]

14. I buy from them all the time and never have a problem

with any of the books, DVDs, and CDs that I have ever bought through them.

[Piperay]

39. I never had a problem either

I have bought lots of books and VHS tapes all the stuff was like brand new and at a fourth the price.

[Ian David]

32. Amazon = Republican. Barnes&Noble = Democrat

See:

http://www.BuyBlue.org

[candice]

43. Borders VERY Democratic! although support your independent

bookstores if you want to have a vital cultural life in this country. I've ordered used from Amazon without any problems, too.

[ClassWarrior]

17. Nonetheless, Amazon is a corporation that profits from these transactions.

Are they a responsible corporate citizen or not? We'll see...

NGU.

[ConfuZed]

2. My opinion:

Personally I believe this is another "wendy's" incident and this woman who might be preying on the newsweek story desecrated her own Quran sad there is no way to prove any of this.

[MADem]

19. DAMN!!!!!!!! YOU BEAT ME TO IT!!!!!!!!!

If this woman is a native of the Arab nations, Turkey, Iran or Afghanistan, and the phrases inscribed upon the volume look something like "You are the seed of the dog" and "Death to the Infidel Muslims, who should instead worship the one true Prophet, Isa!" or "You Muslims, the venom of the snake, all, may you all die most painfully!" then we will know for sure!

Handwriting analysis may tell the tale, too...

(BTW, those are variations of real curse phrases in those regions, I shit you not!)

[XemaSab]

36. The less-known flip side

of the thousand names of Allah, is the thousand insults to dissers of Allah.

"You seed of the stallion mistaken for a cow! You screwer of mules and tortoises! You purchaser of sexual favors from men named after household pets! You husband to writers of lesbian porn!"

[pacalo]

22. Right on, ConfuZed!

This is too coincidental.

[chalky]

23. You're such a cynic, ConfuZed.

Sadly, so am I.

[chookie]

25. The possibility leaps to mind

Sounds like a "hate crime" hoax.

[HuckleB]

33. My suspicion, exactly.

The timing is just too coincidental.

[beyurslf]

3. It seems odd that someone would order a USED copy of the Koran

off the net. Doesn't it sound a little disrespectful right from the start?

[lenidog]

5. So I am not the only one who thought that was strange.

[beyurslf]

6. Well yeah. It would be like a Catholic priest ordering some used

consecrated bread from ebay and then being upset when it was stale.

[lenidog]

9. Exactly

If it was a college student ordering it for a class I could see but a practicing Muslim that is just really strange.

[PsychoDad]

21. Depends...

It may be in a rare style, or a copy that she once owned, or even a Tafsir (A Qu'ran with commentary).. If it is a style that is out of print or perhaps an older Qu'ran then perhaps the only way to find it is used.

[HeeBGBz]

24. Why would anyone with a used Koran

Write slurs? What kind of moran would have a Koran hanging around the house? A Muslim redneck?

edited to say: What is a Koran Moran, Alex?

[Autobot77]

29. It depends

Some "used" copies of books are in excellent condition and at a low price. Some sellers will advertise that the book has never been read.
While nothing these Muslim-hating freeptards do surprises me anymore, I have to wonder why they would go through all the trouble. Like Ebay, sellers are judged by previous customers seller ratings.
Unless he signed up just for that purpose he basically ruined his rating and chances of selling more books because he had to be an ignorant racist fuckwit. While Amazon could technically be responsible,I think that she should focus her efforts on the individual who sold her the book, its easy to find out thier identity esp if its a business.

[Robb]

46. Bingo. n/t

[Inland]

4. And there was a severed finger in it. nt

[chalky]

27. HAH!

:rofl:

[killbotfactory]

8. She's either lying or it was some freeper asshole

She should know who she ordered it from, since she got it used. What kind of investigation would be needed?

[lenidog]

11. Depending on the used bookstore she ordered it from

it could be any asshole. Some of the used bookstores are internet only businesses and others are your standard bookstore. Some kid could have come off the street and done it without the store ever knowing. Though I still smell a rat.

[amagusta]

35. How do you kknow this? Please teach me the meaning of life!

[Iowa]

10. So she wants a full investigation...

What's to investigate? Some moron wrote nasty things in a book she paid for - end of story.

Lady, I've got some advice for you: Our time on this earth is short. Get a refund for your damaged book and move on with your life.

[lenidog]

13. Its already done

The owner of the store has apologized and sent her a refund.

[ConfuZed]

16. She wants alot more than that

Before amazon or whoever hands over the money from the pending suit and I'm absolutely sure she's going to do it her past on this type matter should be investigated.

[blondeatlast]

15. ..."USED BOOK division of Amazon." That means third party, like E-Bay.

It's a disgusting thing anyway, but we can't point the finger directly at Amazon for this.

[clydefrand]

18. She would have proof of delivery IF she did indeed order it

But I'm a little suspicious of someone ordering a second-hand holy book.

[MADem]

20. Me, too, see my note above about the quality of the swears!! n/t

[PaulaFarrell]

37. Why?

Look on Amazon right now - there are dozens for sale. Have you never seen a bible for sale in a used book shop? Same thing. I sell used on Amazon and I buy used too, all the time. It's cheaper and I look at it as uber-recycling. Sure, it's coincidental that this damage occurred at the same time as the news stories, but don't you think it's at least as likely that the 'desecrator' was inspired to by all the news stories rather than the person who bought the book making the whole thing up? knowing the redneck mentality, I'd say it's MORE likely

[JoFerret]

26. FYI Amazon = Big Republican contributor

Not relevant to the story but for all those who buy from etc. it is useful to know.

[ConfuZed]

28. What about Overstock and Ebay?

and how many oil companies which fuels the cars,trucks,buses,trains and planes are major republican contributors?

[HuckleB]

38. Amazon donates to both Republicans and Democrats.

And it has supported a number of progressive causes. Let's please offer some balance when discussing the donations of others. Thanks.

[Triana]

42. From Opensecrets.org RE: Amazon Contribs 2004

TOTAL: $219,821

58% Democrats <----

42% Republicans

http://opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.asp?Ind=B12

[HuckleB]

44. Thanks! -eom-

[Piperay]

40. I thought that the DU had

some kind of thing with Amazon where if you click a certain link when ordering from Amazon that DU gets a small percentage.

[HuckleB]

45. Yes, DU does get funding through purchases at Amazon.

The moderator in non-fiction books noted this recently.

[msanthrope]

30. I think it's a cynical way to get money out of Amazon--n/t

[RamboLiberal]

31. Dang - the seller is from my hometown

He just gets used books from various sources and sells them. Anyone can sell this way on Amazon - I like to order DVD's of TV programs and after I finish them I sell them there. I've also done some house cleaning and have sold books there.

Patty Smith, a spokeswoman for the Seattle-based book retailer, said the Quran was purchased directly from Bellwether Books, a small book resale company in McKeesport, Pa., through the "Marketplace" section of Amazon's Web site.

"This was not our inventory, it was nowhere in our order or fulfillment process," she said. "It was a used book purchased through a third party."

Richard Roberts, owner of Bellwether, said he doubts the book was defaced by his employees. The company buys used books at bargain prices from individuals, other book stores and libraries and then resells them through Amazon.com and other outlets.

He said before this incident, his six employees gave each book a cursory check before shipping and didn't look inside the pages.

Roberts said Bellwether has since instituted a more stringent quality control check. Bellwether is also suspended indefinitely from selling Qurans through Amazon.com, Smith said.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/05/18/state/n155513D92.DTL

[msrbly]

34. It is a crime to desicrate the Quran?

Not that I support religious slurs but if she ordered the book (and lets be honest that what it really is) from an private individual and that private individual decided to mark up the copy he had, where is the crime? The buyers only issue is that the book she ordered was no in the condition in which it was represented on Amazon.

This isn't news and who does the Muslim Public Affairs Council want an apology from?

[MADem]

41. Not in America, but it is a good way of having some extremists

seeking attention to call for a fetwa against you. Then you can move in with Salman Rushdie, author of the Satanic Verses, and share bodyguard expenses!