Oct 17 2010
“The Quran: Learn It or Burn It” will be the theme of the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City’s “Know Your Muslim Neighbour” lecture series this year, starting Thursday.
Leaders of the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City said non-Muslims have always been curious about the Quran.
Saad Mohammad, the society’s director of Islamic information, said questions about the Quran heightened in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and again this past August, after a Florida pastor announced plans to burn copies of the Muslim sacred text.
From that recent controversy comes this year’s theme of the Islamic Society’s “Know Your Muslim Neighbor” lecture series, beginning Thursday. The theme is “The Quran: Learn It or Burn It?”
Mohammad said the society has focused on teaching the basics of Islam at the lectures.
“This year, we want to focus on the Quran because there’s been so much controversy about it,” he said. “People want to burn it. People want to shred it. We want to educate people about what is the true meaning of the Quran.”
The Rev. Terry Jones, of Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., caused a weeks-long furor when he said he and his followers planned to burn copies of the Quran on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. News of the planned Quran burning drew concern and criticism from some clergy leaders across the country as well as from nonclergy leaders, including Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Mohammad said the local Islamic Society has ordered more copies of the Quran because a large number of people are expected to attend the lectures. “We’ve been out to churches and held lectures since 9/11, but the questions are still out there, and we’re here to answer them.”
Each night of the series, mosque tours will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by a lecture. Imad Enchassi, the society’s imam and president, will present “Introduction to Quran 101” this Thursday and “Quran and Tolerance” on Oct. 28. Other speakers are Sheryl Siddiqui on Nov. 4 and Ahmed Agha on Nov. 11.
