The recent Quran burning by anti-Islam activists sparked a debate on the line between religious hatred and free speech and sent shockwaves through Norway’s growing Islamic community.
Following the uproar created by the recent attempt to set fire to Islam’s central scripture, three Muslim organisations will distribute free copies of the Quran to Norwegians in an attempt to prevent future instances of Quran burning.
The Norwegian Muslim Arts and Culture Association, the Islamic Literature Association and the Minhaj-ul-Quran Mosque in Oslo intend to distribute a total of 10,000 copies of the Quran at several stands in the Norwegian capital and possibly Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, sometimes seen as the nation’s cultural capital, the newspaper Vårt Land reported.
The Quran distribution will be funded by the three organisations, as well as donations by private individuals. The action is intended as a response to the burning of the Quran by the organisation Stop Islamisation of Norway (SIAN) during a demonstration in Kristiansand over two weeks ago.
“I believe many people are curious about what the Quran contains and what Muslims stand for. We hope this project can help demystify the Quran’s content,” Hamza Ansari, board member of the Norwegian-Pakistani Minhaj-ul-Quran mosque in Oslo, told Vårt land.
According to the Islamic Literature Association, the Quran teaches how to “show love and spread knowledge”, which is why is it seen as an effective vehicle against “hate and racism”.
More at Source: Source: Norwegian Muslims to Distribute Quran in Aftermath of Public Burning – Sputnik International
