Bible & Koran Share Equal Shelving (UK)

Bibles in Leicester (U.K.) have to be moved up to the top shelf, with the Koran, with approbation from some entity called the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. This is apparently because of Muslim complaints about the shelving of the Koran (down too low). (Sidenote: The ad to the right of this story surprised me. The operators must figure the word is getting out and that many Muslims are reading this story, so why not advertise a Muslim matrimonial site?)

Comments

[Judy K. Warner]

I've seen the Muslim matrimonial ad on a lot of conservative sites. I think it must automatically appear on sites with stories about Muslims, even if the stories are about some radical Muslim group and the danger it poses to civilization.

[Susan D.]

Something similar went on at Borders a few years back; the chain started putting copies of the Koran on the top shelves only. Apparently it's insulting to (some) Muslims if any book displayed above it. (I don't know if this policy is still in effect, because I haven't shopped at Borders since.)

[Stuart Koehl]

If only Methodists or Baptists would take to burning cars or blowing up buildings ever time they were offended by something. . .

[David Gray]

>If only Methodists or Baptists would take to burning cars or blowing up buildings ever time they were offended by something. . .

If you read the right (left) sort of blogs you might well conclude they do...

[Carbonel]

This is appalling. What is the world coming to? Why aren't these libraries filing their nonfiction in proper Dewey Decimal order?

[Judy K. Warner]

It should be in fiction, under M.

[Ethan C.]

>>Why aren't these libraries filing their nonfiction in proper Dewey Decimal order?<<

Dewey numbers? Yech! Give me Library of Congress Classification Numbers any day (and give the Brits whatever their equivalent is).

As to shelving: maybe we should insist that they shelve the Bibles anywhere *besides* to top shelf, as our theology emphasizes the accessibility and humility of our holy text.

Or perhaps as a silent protest, any time one uses a Koran at the library, leave it out on the floor. I suppose that would probably get some libraries burned down, though.

[bonobo]

It should be in fiction, under M.

There's a good amount of fiction in the Bible as well. Leaving aside Jonah and Job, one could at the very least point to the parables as likely examples. Though I have a sneaking suspicion that the good Lord may not have had to adopt a literary form for his instructional anecdotes. The omniscient observer is a very useful literary convention, after all.

Does Dewey Decimal have the categories "good fiction" and "bad fiction"?

[bonobo]

Actually, dammit, having read a lot of the Koran, I don't think there's any fiction in it. It doesn't rise to the level of fiction. The reader is meant to take every word literally as divine revelation. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, didn't ask sacred authors to take dictation.