This article analyses the 1142-43 Latin translation of the Qur'an and explanatory documents in terms of its strategic uses in combatting Islam. Through the location of four potential readerships (inscribed in the text as both Christian and Islamic second persons), the role played by secular professional translators is shown to undercut the potentially sacred values of the text, leading to a situation where debate and discussion could question the values not only of Islamic sacredness but of Christian beliefs as well. It is suggested, as a general working hypothesis, that a translation carried out by an explicit non-believer cannot function as sacred discourse.