CAIR responds to growing islamophobia with Quran, media guide giveaways

XTehran, Jan 19, IRNA -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, re-launched two of its educational campaigns in response to the current debate about Islam and free speech in the wake of the recent attack on the office of Charlie Hebdo magazine in France. The high-quality volumes of the Quran distributed in CAIR's 'Share the Quran' campaign contain the original Arabic script, an English translation by Muhammad Asad, transliteration of the Arabic text, and notes on individual verses. They include a bookmark guide to the verses related to topics such as women's rights, social justice, and respect for other faiths. 'There are specific and clear verses in the Quran that instruct Muslims to respond peacefully and with prayer to insults and mockery,' said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. 'Free speech is at the core of Islamic beliefs.' CAIR is also re-launching its initiative to educate media professionals through distribution of its publication, 'American Muslims: A Journalist's Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims,' which offers journalists tools to gain a better understanding of Islam and to write accurate and balanced stories about Muslims. The guide also offers background information on issues related to Islam and Muslims, best practices for reporting on the American Muslim community and definitions of terminology often used in news stories or editorials. In challenging common misconceptions about Islam and Muslims, the guide provides an Islamic perspective on hot-button issues such as Islam and democracy, freedom of religion, women's rights, and interfaith relations.