Transcript
Mohammed Bin Yahya: It took me about three years to translate it. And when it was done, the first printing was in Pakistan. And all the books except twelve, twelve books got to me, but the other 2-thousand books got lost. They shipped it to America and they were lost in America. Then two experts from Turkey came and they asked me that they would like to reprint it. So they were given the task. They were doing it free, exporting it free. The whole thing will be given out free. We don't sell it. it's just one of our efforts to make people understand and make them better Christians, become Muslims, become anybody, but be good people, believers in the one god, that's the whole aim.
Ben Robinson Drawbridge: What was the advantage of having the Quran printed in Turkey?
MBY: This new print, it corrects some missing items in the first print. Because I believe someone in Pakistan manipulated the wording, so I went through it all over again, one hundred percent, and Ipicked up some words that had been taken out from where they should be, and then I had to correct the mistakes. I'm able to do this because this is what I was doing in government, I was translating for prime minister, all his laws, all his letters. So I am putting my experience of being a translator there into good use, for Islam.
BRD: How do you intend to distribute it?
MBY: We will advertise to the people that we now have a copy of the Quran. Anyone who is interested will come to our centre, they will sit down and talk, and I will have to interview why they want a Quran, are they taking it for good use, are they taking it for show? I don;t want them to just leave it somewhere, or even sit on it. Because it should be respected. But it will be free. We will not claim any money, because it's printed also in the book that it should be given out free. It was a gift of Turkey to the Muslims of Samoa.
BRD: How many Muslims are in Samoa at the moment?
MBY: Counting roughly about 120 to 130 people. But only about sixty people are active.
BRD: So do you hope that other religious leaders, Christian leaders in Samoa, will receive a copy?
MBY: Definitely yes. I will give complimentary copies to our members of parliament, if they want it. And I will give copies to any Christian leader that wants it. In fact I have many Christian leaders who have been given English Qurans. And then I tell them, look, when you read the English it's hard for you but I'll try and get the Samoan done.
BRD: Do you hope that having a Samoan version of the Quran may influence the government's decision about changing the constitution, making Samoa an strictly Christian state?
MBY: No, definitely not. It will influence the people. But right now while they're talking about being Christian, all the non-Christian activities people are doing, all because of that argument from the prime minister alone. but when the people are educated then they will see the difference. Once the people see the difference, then they will decide what's good for them, because right now just being a Christian country, they think this is the only way. If they understand that there is another way, they might decide to change.
