CAIR’s “Learn, Don’t Burn” initiative involves distribution of 200,000 copies of the Qu’ran to replace the 200 copies that the Florida church plans to burn.
At the news conference, CAIR will also announce other activities planned on Friday and Saturday in Florida and will release its new “Challenging Islamophobia” pocket guide.
“This educational initiative is designed for those who seek a proactive and constructive response to the church’s very un-American actions,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “The tiny group of extremists carrying out the book burnings clearly do not represent our society or its values and have been repudiated by all mainstream religious and political leaders.”
Awad noted that he sent a letter to CENTCOM Commander Gn. James N. Mattis asking that he personally visit the Florida church to request that the Sept. 11 burnings be canceled.
Last week, CAIR distributed public service announcements (PSAs) designed to challenge growing anti-Muslim sentiment in American society. Those PSAs have already been viewed by more than 12 million people.
Earlier this month, CAIR released an online toolkit designed to help Muslim communities organize proactive local educational and outreach initiatives such as a “National Day of Unity and Healing” on the upcoming anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
The toolkit, called a “Teachable Moment Community Response Guide,” offers guidance, tools and resources to help Muslim communities respond to specific current events such as the end of Ramadan Eid Al-Fitr holiday occurring near Sept. 11, the upcoming “Burn a Koran Day” by the Florida church, the anti-Muslim bigotry generated by the smear campaign against a planned Islamic community center in Manhattan, and the ongoing tension and misunderstanding surrounding the building or expansion of mosques nationwide. CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.