As with politicians, a blunder becomes a crisis when it is covered up and then exposed. The Islamic clerics, following their prophet’s lead, have tried to sweep the name of the Qur’an’s first god under the rug. So we must ask: if there is nothing to hide—why try so hard to hide it? Of the many Qur’an translations, all but two errantly replace Ar-Rahman’s name with an attribute like “Merciful,” the title “Lord,” the generic “God,” or with the name “Allah.” But unlike the Jews, who misinterpreted the Third Commandment, there is no excuse for changing Ar-Rahman to Lord, God, or Allah.