Students study the Quran

[Greg12]

This was in Time Magizine, so someone who reads time can confirm this if you don't believe me.

Students at a university were being made to read a book about the Koran to improve Islamic understanding.

Alot of people complained and the assignment was dropped.

I think this is so stupid. In this time of the world, to understand Islam is the most important thing. AMericans have to know there isn't a big monster in the middle east called Islam and it goes around spitting a stream of fire and it yells "AL-Salam"

Trust me, I know people who think this way.

I know Islam isn't evil. I want to here peoples thoughts on this question?

"Is it ok to have students reading a book about the Koran?"


Please restrict your responses to the scope of that question.

[pacmania_2001]

I believe that people need a greater understanding of the Islamic religion and it's followers. I have done assignments before on both the religion and on the countries that it is dominant on and yes I have to agree that for the most (98.9%) part is a peaceful place.

It disgusts me some of the treatment I have seen of Islamic People in my country, Australia. Two days after September 11 I was in a hardware store buying some stuff and ahead of me in line were an Islamic looking(not sure if they were followers) family who the clerk at the store was refusing to serve. I, and several other people made complaints to the manager and eventually they were served but still it is ignorance of people like that is the reason this type of thing should be studied.

[mrtristan]

If I was still in college and I was forced to read it for an assignment, I would just do it. While I fully agree with the separation of church and state, that is just ridiculous. There will NEVER be a total, 100% separation of any church and any state, so to speak.

Any given country's history, religion, and politics are intertwined. I was "forced" to read the Ramanaya, in college. I could have complained about the heavy Hindu influence in the book, but I didn't. I read the book, passed the class, and learned a little bit about a different culture.

I disagree with reading a book about the Quran, though. They should just have the students study the book, itself. Studying a book about a book means that the words will have been filtered once more than necessary.

[MOVIEGEEK]

As an American I realize there are good and bad people in all religions.
I dont blame German or Japanese people for the atrocities that occured
in WWII..I blame their leaders.As a Christian I don't hate Muslims..but
I blame their fanatical religious leaders who preach in the name of Islam
to hate Christians and Jews saying we are "enemies of Allah"and going against the teachings of Mohammed.I will never forget watching the news
in 1979 and in Tehran seeing my countryman being held hostage for over
a year by Islamic fundamentalist,1983 Beirut:231 US Marines killed by
Hezbollah,an Iranian-backed terrorist group,1987 Eastern Med:1 American
killed aboard the Achille Laurel just because he was an American,1988 Scotland:212 Americans killed on Pan-Am flight to New York................
Sept.11 2001 New York:.......need I say more?
It is wrong to distrust an entire religion or people but can you blame us?
P.S:I think it is wrong to force students in public schools to read any religous texts.

[Bel]

Saying a religion is a peaceful thing is one thing, but when 99% of the political structure supports the killing of Christians, Jews, Westerners, basically anyone that's not them it tends to put a taint on the religion is a "peaceful" one. While America, and Europe centralized view of Islam claim that it is a peaceful religion the majority of Islamic countries are anything but peaceful. Saudi Arabia funds and arms islamic terrorist groups, as does Iraq, Syria, and Iran. While the rest of the Arab countries may not be as high profile, there is support for these groups and the destruction of Israel throughout the region. These are the political realities. We are at war, whether this country realizes it or not. Political correctness, and classes that require reading the Quran at a time like this, only serve to propel the illusion that "it's only a couple of evil people." This is state sponsored, state organized, and state funded terrorism. How would anyone like them detonating a nuke in your city? Russia admits that there are several HUNDRED suitcase sized Nukes unaccounted for after the fall of the Soviet Union? Now is not the time to preach peace, while we are in a state of anything but.

However, I do not condone the discrimination of any Islamic Americans, at any time. But, unfortunately we are at a time when we must view everything with suspicion, and I believe that everyone must support law enforcement efforts in this regard. The costs of failure are too high for there to be any other way...

[KingJohn]

Now guys, don't speak up against this, or like Salman Rushdie, you will have a death threat hanging over your head... I heard the "9 year" death threat was lifted.

Call that a religion ?

[d4n13l]

Hmmm.... Only if they forced students to read The Communist Manifesto by karl Marx in decades past.
:lol:

[mysticgohan17]

i need to add some close minded ass-hole to this intelligent conversation so *ahem*

"foreign guys suck, the middle east guys suck, and french guys who steal our wives and girlfriends when we take them to france SUCK. everbody who hates another country because its priests screw their altar boys, celebrate our country kicking ass in every war EVER and getting drunk and partying can kiss my American ass"

[vitualis]

Improved education on other cultures to foster tolerance is always a good thing...

@ Bel:
One could easily use your line of argument to say that the US is a threat to world peace. The political structure of the US is geared towards only US-centric gain and it doesn't seem to have too many qualms about breaking international treaties or using its massive military to achieve its political objectives.

Not to mention that the US has the largest collection of "weapons of mass destruction" and the greatest ability to use them, and has implied that it WILL use them as it sees fit.

This is state sponsored, state organized, and state funded terrorism.

True in a particular perspective but I'm sure that your average non-militant, Iraqi cilivian feels the same way about the US right about now.

Regards.