Muslim scholars are working on a Gaelic translation of the Koran in an attempt to promote better understanding between faiths.

The Muslim Academic Trust, which is publishing the translation, said that it was important that every language had a version of the holy book.

Abdal Hakim Murad, who heads the trust and lectures on religion at the University of Cambridge, said: “The Koran speaks of the diversity of human languages as a sign of God's beauty and creative power. We feel that the specific genius of each language needs to be honoured by Muslims, and that a good translation of the Koran would be an important way of bringing this about.”

Although Scottish Muslims have embraced the project, which costs £50,000, church leaders in the Western Isles, where 61percent of the population speak Gaelic, say that there is no demand for a Gaelic Koran. The Reverend Iver Martin, of Stornoway Free Church, said: “I wouldn't have thought there would be much of a market for this. I'm not sure that a lot of Gaelic-speaking people would be inclined to read it.

“Of course, Muslims have the freedom to do what they want, but it is worth pointing out that in many Muslim countries Christians do not have the freedom to read the Bible.”

Bashir Maan, convener of the Muslim Council of Scotland, said that the translation would foster understanding about Islam. “I think this is a very good thing. This is the only language in the world left without a translation of the Koran, and I am very grateful to the people who are working on it,” he said.

“I think it is very important that every person in the world knows what Islam is, and what the Koran says. The book is the source of Islam and it will help people know what Muslims are, what we feel, how we live, how we pray, and what the culture is.

“I think it will be very good for community relations. Not many people know what Islam is, and they just go by what they read and hear about it. It is worth every penny that will be spent on it.”

The publishers hope to produce two versions of the Gaelic Koran - a decorative colour edition that marries Celtic and Arabic calligraphy, and a simple print edition.

Although they hope to complete the project by 2012, they have been unable to find anyone who knows Gaelic and Arabic well enough to start work on it.Instead they are considering setting up a translation committee to translate the existing Irish Gaelic version into the closely related Scots Gaelic.

Mr Murad said that if the book could not be done to a high standard, the project may be scrapped. “We are very anxious to get this done properly and to the highest standard. Better to not do it at all than for it not to be done well,” he said.

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