A READER SENDS THIS:

Quran (9:11) — For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a
fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the
lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair
still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of
Allah; and there was peace.

Pretty cool, except that I’m fairly sure it’s bogus. Sura 9 is “Repentance,” and in my copy of the Koran (the 1955 Arberry translation) verse 11 reads:

Yet if they repent, and perform the prayer, and pay the alms, then they are your brothers in religion; and We distinguish the signs for a people who know.

Sorry to bust a bubble here. Since this seems to be one of those endlessly forwarded email items, you may see it soon, if you haven’t already.

UPDATE: A whole lot of people have sent the link to this Snopes debunking of the bogus Koran quote. A couple even accused me of being behind the times, reaching for an actual book rather than going to Snopes first. Well, it’s right there on the shelf, you know, and I paid $11.50 for it (used) at the Yale Co-Op some years ago, so I figured I ought to get my money’s worth. . .

ANOTHER UPDATE: More debunking here.