Posted on 06/03/2005 7:02:32 PM PDT by nickcarraway
WASHINGTON, 4 June 2005 — Following accusations of mistreatment of the Qur’an in the Guantanamo prison in Cuba, and recognition of widespread ignorance about Islam’s holy book by many Americans; CAIR, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, has responded by offering free Qur’ans.
More than 6,000 Americans have already requested the free copies of Islam’s holy book since CAIR launched the “Explore the Qur’an” campaign on May 17.
“Calls are coming into our headquarters at the rate of three-to-five calls-per-minute since publication about the campaign in USA Today and the Wall Street Journal newspapers,” said Nihad Awad, executive director of CAIR.
CAIR’s telephone message mailbox becomes completely filled “at least once an hour, which reflects a desire by ordinary Americans to better understand Islam and Muslims,” Awad said, adding that many are calling to congratulate them on their initiative.
“This fact about American society needs to be told in the Muslim world. People here respect the Qur’an and would like to learn about it, and the acts of a few should not obscure the reality of the general Americans society — which is good, tolerant and accepting of others,” he said.
Those who have requested free Qur’ans include a police officer who works with the Muslim community, Christian religious leaders who wish to explain Islam to their congregations and Americans of all faiths who just wish to learn more about Islam’s revealed text, he said.
CAIR’s first shipment of 25,000 copies of Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s translation of the Qur’an is being sent out this week to any American who wants one.
Nihad said he has received many questions about the Qur’an. “I tell them there’s no better spokesperson than the Qur’an.”
Distribution of Islam’s holy book offers an unprecedented opportunity for Muslims to introduce Islam to their fellow Americans, said Awad, who added the response by the US media has been “very heartening.”
Awad cited an article by Kenneth Woodward in the Wall Street Journal as an example: “If for Christians, Jesus is the eternal word of God made flesh; then the Koran is the word of God made book, and every Arabic syllable in it lives as the breath of the divine.”
“People have read hundreds of books in America, but I doubt that most Americans have ever seen, or read, or even touched the Qur’an. It’s a must-read, must-learn and must understand book that changed the history of the world, and will continue to have an impact on our lives,” said the head of CAIR.
But, as a non-profit organization, CAIR cannot continue this project without the support of the Muslim community: “We need to be supported to ensure it will be successful. People can go to the website and donate or request copies of the Qur’an at www.exploretheQur’an.org. We are hoping that we have enough resources to send out 100,000 copies.”
Awad said: “Donors to the Qur’an project are encouraged to ‘give the gift of faith to your neighbor.’”
A letter explaining how Muslims are taught to handle the Qur’an with due respect will be included with each shipment.
“It will deal with how Muslims traditionally have been taught to handle the Qur’an, and will request that they put it on a proper, clean place out of respect. We hope they will take that to heart.”
He stressed Muslims need not hesitate contributing to CAIR.
“CAIR is probably the most respected US Muslim organization. It has an excellent legal standing and is very transparent, and continues to have a good rapport with the US government. We receive delegations from the Muslim world through the State Department more than once a week, and we conduct seminars on Islam for different departments of the US government in Washington and in other states.”
Do you see that?
Michigan Cheese is also trying to hijack this thread---and trying to be politically correct, too----
I didn't say there was "anything wrong" with being a gay purple teletubbie, now did I?
Yeah, I should be getting my copy in this shipment.. Just about out of toilet paper... HA
I need some toilet paper to take when i go camping--this'll work!!!
Muslims offer prayers, Qurans on town green
by Michael Herzenberg
(New Haven-WTNH, June 3, 2005 10:40 PM) _ Muslims gathered in New Haven Friday in hopes of spreading a message of understanding. This, as new information comes to light about abuse of the Quran by U.S. military personnel.
The Pentagon confirms a U.S. soldier deliberately kicked a copy of the Quran belonging to a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay. There are other confirmed incidents as well. All this comes after Newsweek retracted a story about a guard flushing a Quran down a toilet. It was that report and worldwide reaction which sparked the demonstration Friday evening in downtown New Haven.
Dozens of Connecticut Muslims brought prayer to the open air to help others understand their religion.
"We're doing this to educate," says Imam Dawood Yasin from Masjid Al Islam.
Congregates from area mosques read the whole Quran in one sitting, assigning sections of the text to men, women, and children.
The effort is in response to the negative publicity the Islamic holy book recently received around Newsweek's retracted article about a U.S. soldier flushing a Guantanamo Bay prisoner's copy of the Quran in a toilet.
"We've seen kind of a violent response," says Dawood Yasin. "We've seen death in Afghanistan by what was then called or what was retractions from Newsweek. We've taken a different approach. We're saying come read what is in our book."
"We just want to share with our fellow Americans how important is the Quran for us," says Aziz Amezzane of West Haven. "It's very important."
"We have a message to bring that we're here, there's nothing to be afraid of," says Yasin. "We have a book that we feel is a beautiful book and we want to share it with people."
It's a message noticed by people passing by the demonstration and one well received.
"I never saw that before so I think it's great," says Javier Castillo of New Haven.
"That was nice to see and I think it helps dispel a lot of fears that people have just to see them offering prayers peacefully," says Sehar Dariq.
The Muslims also gave away free copies of the Quran, translated into English, hoping people will read them and grow.
Well I guess we get to do the toilet test for ourselves.
UNLIKE ISLAMOFASCISTS
GOOD DOGGIE!
"I don't need any toilet paper from you."
Not that stuff, anyway. The paper is probably slick and the ink will run. EWWWW!
Like most religious texts, the Koran is most suitable for use as a sedative. When I dip into it, it most reminds me of the Book of Mormon. In my opinion, both texts consist of dull, pretentious, repetitive prose. This could be because each was written by one inadequately educated person. I think it must mean something that both writers decided that God/Allah was enthusiastic about polygamy. It is beyond my comprehension that anyone could be converted by exposure to either of these books.
http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/koran/
http://www.hti.umich.edu/m/mormon/
However I have no doubt that many, many Muslims and Mormons live good, constructive lives in spite of the misfortune of having awful religious texts.
I find similar problem with the writings of those who founded the Ba'hai faith, although I know very good people who adhere to this religion.
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KA/
I have not tried to read any Hindu texts, or any of the Torah.
It seems to me it would be hard to write something that could compare with the King James version of the New Testament or the mythologies of the Greek and Roman gods.
..."unless Evangelical Christianity is rubbing off on them."
Very very funny.
Kinda like "real" moslems as opposed to the other kind of moslem.
Handy that the moon death cult's black rock demon speaks only arabic. That fact and the koranic suras about killing anyone who dares express doubt or converts to another religion really tend to encourage discussion and examination of this "theology".
Apparently the moon death cult's black rock "god" is too weak to handle any sort of doubts, and is too stupid to learn any human language but seventh century arabic?
No. That's inappropriate.
With a free supply of Korans, every urinal from Alaska to south Chile can have one:)
I think you got their name wrong, but I don't remember exactly what it was.
L
And then send the holey Korans back to their owners.
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