XPost: alt.books.cs-lewis, rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: news@pointerstop.ca   
      
   Steve Hayes wrote:   
      
   > I recently posted  a note on my blog about the number of visitors from   
   > Muslim countries at some web pages I maintain about Christianity and   
   > literature.   
   >   
   > Someone commented in response that there had been discussion on the web   
   > about Tolkien's orcs representing Arab Islamic armies.   
      
   Only insofar as the LOTR films stressed an oriental look (not of the Orcs,   
   but the human allies)... One can't fault Tolkien for that.  Of course,   
   Mordor is East of the civilized lands, too.  I suppose you _can_ fault   
   Tolkien for that - but it had to be _some_ direction.   
   >   
   > That was new to me.   
   >   
   > I have heard people say that the Calormenes in the Narnia books represent   
   > Muslims, and some have even indignantly claimed that they are a deliberate   
   > attempt to denigrate Muslims -- except that the Calormenes' religion in no   
   > way resembles Islam, though it might bear some resemblance to pre-Islamic   
   > religions of the Middle East.   
      
   I've always felt it bears a resemblance to a pseudo-Christian bigot's idea   
   of Islam.  I _hope_ Lewis didn't intend that, but I'm afraid he might have.   
   --   
   derek   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)