CAIR ACTION ALERT #578:
Action: Help Share the Quran with 100,000 American Leaders
Sponsor a Quran today to become part of this educational initiative
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/30/09) - CAIR is calling on Muslims to help distribute free copies of the Quran to 100,000 local, state and national leaders by the end of the year.
The new “Share the Quran” campaign, which is designed to enhance understanding of Islam by opinion leaders and policymakers nationwide, was prompted by President Obama’s recent address to the Muslim world in which he quoted from the holy text.
SEE: Share the Quran
[View video of today’s news conference in Washington, D.C., announcing the “Share the Quran” campaign.]
A correlation between increasing knowledge of Islam and decreasing anti-Muslim prejudice also provided motivation for CAIR’s new initiative. According to CAIR public opinion surveys, only two percent of Americans say they are “very knowledgeable” about Islam, and almost 60 percent say they are “not very knowledgeable” or “not at all knowledgeable” about the faith.
CAIR is asking Muslims to sponsor the distribution of the Qurans to governors, state attorney generals, educators, law enforcement officials, state and national legislators, local elected and public officials, media professionals, and other local or national leaders who shape public opinion or determine policy.
“The long-term goal of the campaign is to put one million Qurans in the hands of ordinary Americans of all faiths over the next ten years,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.
He said “Share the Quran” materials will be made available to Islamic centers and mosques nationwide for distribution at events such as open houses or public Ramadan fast-breaking meals. (CONTACT: quran@cair.com)
CAIR’s new educational effort is phase two of its successful “Explore the Quran” campaign in which tens of thousands of Americans of all faiths requested and received Qurans.
The high-quality volumes of the Quran distributed in CAIR’s “Share the Quran” campaign are published by the Book Foundation. They contain the original Arabic script, an English translation by Muhammad Asad, transliteration of the Arabic text, and notes on individual verses.
“By quoting from the Quran 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,” said Awad. “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.”
Awad said the Qurans sponsored by Muslims and delivered to American leaders will include a bookmark guide to the verses cited by the president and to references related to topics such as women’s rights, social justice, respect for other faiths, and similar issues related to international events.
He added that the “Share the Quran” campaign is part of CAIR’s celebration of its 15th anniversary. CAIR was founded in June of 1994.
Immediate action requested to make this effort succeed:
1. Make sincere dua and pray for the success of this educational effort.
2. Sponsor one or more Qurans by going to the “Share the Quran” campaign web site (http://www.explorethequran.
3. Organize an event in your mosque during which you will share a Quran with elected officials, law enforcement authorities and other community leaders. CONTACT: quran@cair.com
4. Share information about the “Share the Quran” initiative with friends, relatives and colleagues through e-mail lists, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
5. Encourage opinion leaders and policymakers you know to request a free Quran at: http://www.explorethequran.com
6. Imams should dedicate a khutba to let congregations know about the duty to support this campaign by sponsoring Qurans.
7. Donate to the “Share the Quran” campaign by clicking here. To donate offline or to inquire about the project, click here.
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