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Gitmo Contoroversy Prompts Quran Campaign
U.S. Muslim group offers free Qurans to the American public
In the Name
of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/17/05) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) announced at a press conference today that it would offer
free copies of the Quran to the American public in response to the
recent controversy generated by a Newsweek article alleging that
Islam's holy text was flushed down a toilet.
An item in the
May 9 issue of Newsweek reported that: "Investigators probing
interrogation abuses at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo
Bay have confirmed some infractions alleged in internal FBI e-mails
that surfaced late last year. Among the previously unreported cases,
sources tell Newsweek that interrogators, in an attempt to rattle
suspects, flushed a Qur'an down a toilet and led a detainee around
with a collar and dog leash."
Subsequently,
with anti-American sentiment already strong in the Muslim world,
the report of the Quran desecration sparked protests in Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Indonesia, and Gaza, where 16 people were killed and more
than 100 injured, according to news reports.
Although Newsweek
has since then retracted its statement and offered an apology, other
news reports show that allegations of religious desecration at Guantanamo
are common among ex-prisoners and have been widely reported outside
the United States.
SEE: http://rawstory.com/exclusives/newsweek_koran_report_516.htm
In response,
CAIR launched a campaign titled, "Explore the Quran" that
is designed to increase an understanding and appreciation of Islam
by making copies of the Quran available to ordinary Americans. Muslims
are also encouraged to participate by sponsoring copies of the Quran,
which will then be distributed to interested individuals nationwide.
The $25 packages
include a copy of the Quran with Yusuf Ali's English translation
and guidelines on how to handle the Quran.
"In today's
climate of heightened religious sensitivities and cultural clashes,
now is the time for people of all faiths to better acquaint themselves
with Islam's sacred text, the Holy Qur'an," said CAIR Executive
Director Nihad Awad. "The 'Explore the Quran' campaign allows
the book to speak for itself and educate those of other faith traditions
about the beautiful religion of Islam."
Awad said those
who wish to obtain a free copy of the Quran, can submit a request
at:
http://www.cair-net.org/explorethequran/
or call 1-800-78-ISLAM (47526). Muslim communities and individuals
can donate to the project by visiting the same website.
At the press
conference, the office of Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) issued
a statement praising CAIR's campaign and condemning the abuse of
religion in any form.
Conyers' statement
said, in part: "I applaud CAIR's 'Explore the Quran' campaign,
and I plan to introduce a Sense of the Congress resolution later
this week to show how strongly I feel about this matter. The administration
will have to do a lot more than blame the press to address their
problems with Muslims in America and around the world. We have made
the job of our enemies all to easy by sanctioning torture and by
white-washing prisoner abuse investigations. We also need to embrace
the Muslim people and tolerance if we are truly interested in supporting
democracy around the world."
The council
in America's largest civil liberties group, with 31 regional offices
and chapters nationwide and in Canada. To read CAIR's mission and
vision statement, go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=About
_________________________________________________________________
CONTACTS:
Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441
E-mail: rahmed@cair-net.org
Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726
E-MAIL: ihooper@cair-net.org
CAIR-Southern California:
Sabiha Khan, 714-776-1847 or 714-390-0334
E-mail: socal@cair.com
_________________________________________________________________
COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC
RELATIONS (CAIR)
Southern California
2180 W. Crescent Ave., Suite F
Anaheim, CA 92801
Tel: (714) 776-1847
Fax: (714) 776-8340
E-mail: socal@cair.com
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
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