So I just got this forwarded e-mail titled "History of Iraq."

Hmm. I just had to see that. So I opened the e-mail and scrolled past several screens worth of forward headers to get to the actual content of the message. The message was filled with lots of accurate references to how ancient Iraq is mentioned in the bible. For example, the cities of Ur and Nineveh are there, the Garden of Eden is there, etc.

On a marginally related note, I am currently eating a take-out breakfast from a restaurant named The Garden of Eatin'.

Anyway the e-mail wraps up with a "Koran passage:"

Koran (9:11) - For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace.

Does that sound fishy to you? I certainly thought so. So I looked it up. The eleventh verse of the ninth surah actually reads:

But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, they are your brethren in faith; and We make the communications clear for a people who know.

Additionally, a simple text search returned zero results for the world "eagle."

The forward headers for this e-mail show around fifty recipients.

I wonder how many of them bothered to look it up?