Blood Qur'an

Controversy is a brewing in Iraq over a Qur'an which was completely written in the blood of former Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein.

Saddam devised the plan to create the Blood Qur'an shortly after one of his sons had narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. This event re awoken Saddam's commitment is to the Sunni sect of Islam and the Blood Qur'an was meant to be seen as a symbol of commitment to his faith.

The Qur'an contains 114 chapters with roughly 300 pages so it required the use of 27 litres (57 pints) of Saddam's blood to complete. The mass murderer then sat with a nurse and a calligrapher for 2 years in order to transcribe the book.

The controversy is over what to do with the book now that Saddam is gone. Many in the new Iraqi government want it destroyed along with all other symbols of Saddam. Historians, however, say that it is priceless to the history of Iraq. But the issue of the text goes far beyond politics versus history.

According to Islam it is forbidden to write the Qur'an in blood. Even more forbidden, though, is destroying a Qur'an. So this leaves the nation at a bit of a catch 22.

Currently the book is secured under lock and key in a vault located in a Baghdad Mosque. This is where the Blood Qur'an has been stored now for  about 8 years.