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May 18, 2008
Quran Pushers Coming To America's Neighborhoods
Abdikarim Maye distributes English translations of the Quran on Thursday in Wheaton , ILLINOIS, on behalf of the Book of Signs Foundation.
Qurans given out for free
Muslim group hopes people will find understanding in the holy book, ditch common misconceptions. 'I'd read it just to see what it says,' a recipient says
As Marcia Macy chatted with her dog walker in the driveway of her Wheaton home Thursday, a young Muslim man passed her and hooked a plastic bag containing a Quran on her doorknob.
Unlike most religious solicitors, the man didn't try to speak with her or engage her in debate. He simply left her a 378-page paperback English translation of the holy book of Islam.
"I'd read it just to see what it says, but I believe in Jesus, not Allah," said Macy, a longtime Christian. "They have a right to do it . . . but I feel pretty strong in my faith."
If Macy reads the text, she will have fulfilled the goal of the Book of Signs Foundation. The Addison-based Muslim organization says that since July it has distributed more than 70,000 free English Qurans to homes in the Chicago area and another 30,000 around Houston.
The Christian stronghold of Wheaton is the group's latest stop. The foundation spent the previous three weeks in Chicago's Hyde Park and Jackson Park neighborhoods.
Organizers said their aim is to help people develop their own opinions about Islam instead of being misled by common misconceptions about the faith that have been especially egregious since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"We're just trying to be honest brokers of information," said Wajahat Sayeed, founder and director of Book of Signs, which also is known as the Al-Furqaan Foundation. "You make your own judgment."
Distributing free scripture is not new, of course. Many Christian groups pass out Bibles; Gideons International distributed almost 450,000 in September in a weeklong " New York Bible Blitz." And other Muslim groups have given away free Qurans. Lake County's Ahmadiyya Muslim Community reports distributing more than 1,000 since 2005, with a boom in requests for Spanish-translated Qurans in the last year.
But the Book of Signs' long-term goal is particularly ambitious: that each household in the U.S. possess a Quran, even if the residents are not Muslims.
On Thursday, two teams—each with two walkers and one person driving a minivan full of books—crisscrossed the manicured neighborhoods of Wheaton.
Wild Thing's comment........
I sure hope they don't bring that garbage here.
Posted by Wild Thing at May 18, 2008 03:45 AM
Comments
Better not come to my neighborhood while my hubby is around! They're likely to get beat over the head with the book and chased down the street!
This is just wrong--stop pushing religions on people. The Mormons gave my daughter one of their books the Easter before last and now they won't leave us alone! We had to tell them we were Pagans! My mother in law chased them down the street with a broom swinging over her head! I do not like being accosted for religions sake. I am a Christian and that's what I like to be. I am the best teacher for my own children about our religion and I do talk to them about other religions just so they know they are out there.
But whatever we needed to know about Islam, we learned on 9-11! Jesus never said I had to go to a church to worship him.
Posted by: Lynn at May 18, 2008 07:25 AM
I'ii have a slice of bacon ready in case they come to my door.
Posted by: TomR at May 18, 2008 12:00 PM
I solved the problem of the Door bell ringers.
when the Mormons came to our door I just said we
were jehovah witness,when the Witness came
around I just said we were LDS.3 years and no
more Bible Thumpers.
Posted by: Tincan Sailor at May 18, 2008 12:14 PM
I just hope that Obama's missionaries don't show up on my doorstep. I solved some of my 'thumper problems' a lot like Tin Can Sailor has, I don't share their beliefs, sometimes I just go nuts in front of them and start speaking in the vernacular, they don't like to be around un-Christian behaving people with guns who refuse to turn the other cheek. Why some of them even dispair at having to defend our great nation, just remind them that six million Jews died believing that someone else was going to save them.
Posted by: Jack at May 18, 2008 12:31 PM
Just one more piece of the global Caliphate jigsaw puzzle to assimilate the United States (by force if necessary). If someone voluntarily supports and will vote for Barack Hussein Obama then they are prime targets of this type of propaganda.
Posted by: Les at May 18, 2008 01:49 PM
Are the english versions written backwards ? A califate, what the hell is a califate is that a native of california, and a female would be a califateete.
They had better remember, I live between Philly and Pittsburgh, aka, Alabama, and we cherish our Guns, Bible and hate furin-ners and other varmits The 2nd Amendment, here, is really the first. And there aint no season or limit on how many of either ya kilt.
Posted by: Mark at May 18, 2008 02:54 PM
Lynn I agree, and Nicholas would react like your husband too.
Giggle that is funny about your mother in law, I love it.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 18, 2008 03:58 PM
Tom LMAO good one.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 18, 2008 03:59 PM
Tincan Sailor, good idea.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 18, 2008 04:02 PM
Jack haha I thought of acting like a crazy person and try to scare them off. So far we haven't had any yet where we live now.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 18, 2008 04:04 PM
Les yes, I sure hope that never happens.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 18, 2008 04:08 PM
Mark, my understanding is a Caliphate is when they, the Muslims take over and rule.
..."furin-ners and other varmits.....LOL love how you put that. heh heh
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 18, 2008 04:12 PM
