Brother StopS I am bit lost at the way this conversation is heading. Seems to gone off at a tangent. I am not a salafist but I like many thinks democracy is an overated concept of govrnance. Generally the democracy is subject to media manipulation, missleading people. People with dubious charcter to lead, in effect is in suvertiude economic might of few. It is worth considering that both political power and economic think tank are in cahoot with the present day's dire econimic situation. So people look or even opt for different model. As a muslim, we believe Islamic model is the best way forward. It lays down clear ethics and boundary. It never celebrates the greed culture of a few and promotes it as a virtue for others to aspire. Profit is not the sole purpose of existance. UN security council with veto power do not represent world view and is UNDEMOCRATIC! Often the powerful countries violates treaty and suppourt violation of treaties forced on other poorer countires. So in reality UN holds little legitimacy. Economic influences is exerted in making decision by the rich countries generally to mantain the statusqueo. As for salafist being violent is self evident from the fact that most of this adherent are simplton and tries to adopt a reductionist take on complex world. Hence they are in my opinion are like village idiot given authority. Thier socio-economic make up should be considered when tring to understand the rise of this evenglical protestanisation of Islam. They are incapeble of doing anything practical as their understanding verges on some sort of ism rather then due process. No translation can be classed as Quran and as such reverance can't be the same. The rule of disposing of such items is not the same as Arabic Quran. Once I picked up a bible from the floor from my friends (christian) house and told him not to put it on the floor lest one kicks the book, knowing full well it is the not authentic and has a lot objectionable contents. As I have said earlier, in absense of other translation, one can read the Salafist translation. Ideally you should read exegesis at the same time. For a laymen, perhaps Mariful Quran would be a good start, availabe on the net and in this forum. It has both translation and commentaries. Allahualam