Muslims offer free copies of Quran

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — An American Muslim organization, reacting to controversy generated by the alleged desecration of the Quran, has offered to give a free copy of the holy book to any American.

The giveaway, which, depending on demand, could go as high as 100,000 copies, comes after a recent Newsweek article alleging that the text was flushed down a toilet, said leaders of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"We want to turn a negative image into a positive one," said Altaf Ali, the council's Florida director, at a press conference on Wednesday at the Nur-ul-Islam mosque in Cooper City, Fla. "America's image is taking a beating, and it's affecting us all, of different faiths."

Those who call the council's national toll-free line, 1-800-78-ISLAM, can get a free copy of the holy book, Ali said. Local Muslim communities around the country will be asked to underwrite the campaign.

Dozens of samples of the English translation of the Quran, hardcover and paperback, were on display at the news conference.

The Quran giveaway followed Newsweek's claim in early May that federal officials at the Guantanamo prison tried to flush a Quran in order to demoralize Muslim inmates suspected of terrorist activities.

The magazine retracted the story Monday, saying the report's unnamed source had retracted his statement; but by then, outrage leading to riots in Afghanistan and Pakistan had claimed 17 lives.

However, the religious leaders noted there have been other reports alleging quranic desecrations for years. Ali said the council wanted a full investigation of the alleged misdeeds at Guantanamo.

"From the Muslim perspective, the Quran is the sacred word of God and should be treated with respect," he said.

The Wednesday news conference also drew allies from Jewish and Christian faiths as a way to "send a message of solidarity," Ali said.

Among those at the mosque was Jack Lieberman, a co-chairman of the 2-year-old Jewish-Arab Dialogue Association.

"As a member of a religious minority, I'm sensitive to violations of the rights of other minorities," said Lieberman, who is Jewish. "If they can do it to one religious group, it could happen to us."

Pastor Jeffrey Frantz, of the Miami Lakes Congregational Church, agreed.

"Christians have a concern for reconciliation," he said. "Desecration against one faith is an abomination for all faiths."

Ali said the council also supports a pro-Quran resolution drafted Tuesday by U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.

The proposed resolution calls for the House to condemn any U.S. policy that disparages religion. The resolution also "recognizes that the Quran, the holy book of Islam, as any other holy book of any religion, should be treated with dignity and respect."