American Muslims are distributing thousands of free copies of the Noble Qur’an to US officials and policymakers as part of a wider campaign to educate Americans about Islam.
“Educating our nation’s leaders about Islam and the Qur’an is the American Muslim community’s responsibility,” Nihad Awad, Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said in a statement e-mailed to IslamOnline.net.
The “Share The Qur’an” campaign includes distributing 100,000 free copies of Qur’an among local, state and national officials.
Each copy would be accompanied by a bookmark guide to verses cited by President Barack Obama during his landmark speech to the Muslim world from Cairo last month.
“As the Holy Koran tells us, ‘Be conscious of God and speak always the truth,'” Obama told his tentative audience.
“The Holy Koran tells us, ‘O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.'”
The guide will also include references to verses on topics such as women’s rights, social justice and respect for other faiths.
CAIR, America’s main Muslim advocacy group, urged imams and community leaders to use the Friday sermons and other events to drum up support for the campaign.
“We thank imams for participating in the success of this initiative and for their leadership in obtaining sponsorships for at least one hundred Qur’ans for each mosque to be sent to opinion leaders and policymakers,” Awad said.
“If everyone in the community does his or her share, our goal of one hundred thousand Qur’an sponsorships will be achieved, inshallah.”
Growing Interest
Awad said Obama’s speech to the Muslim world has renewed interest in a better understanding of Islam.
“By quoting from the Qur’an in his Cairo address, President Obama generated renewed interest in what Islam’s revealed text has to say on topics such as the sanctity of human life, justice and diversity.”
The Muslim leader said open houses and similar events will be used to distribute the copies of the Qur’an.
The new campaign is the second phase of CAIR’s successful “Explore the Qur’an” campaign which aims to enhance understanding of Islam among Americans.
“The long-term goal of the campaign is to put one million Qur’ans in the hands of ordinary Americans of all faiths over the next ten years.”
A recent survey by Pew Research Center and the Pew Forum found that the majority of Americans know very little about the practices of Islam.
Awad said a better understanding of Islam helps fight Islamophobia.
“This is not an effort to proselytize, but is instead intended to provide an educational resource for those who will shape the future direction of our nation.”
–Agencies