Leaders of Sacramento-area Islamic organizations joined a national effort Tuesday to educate Americans about the life and philosophies of the Prophet Muhammad.
Organizers hope the program will help turn the international controversy over editorial cartoons published in a Danish newspaper into a learning experience about the meaning of Muhammad.
"He is our guide, our teacher. And for us to have him be caricatured and put into cartoons was very offensive, and this is why many of the Muslims reacted," Irfan Haq, spokesman for the Sacramento Area League of Associated Muslims, said at a news conference at the SALAM Center in Foothill Farms.
"He was a man of peace who taught us not to be violent, not to return hate with hate. Not to return violence with violence. On the contrary, he taught peace and justice and to create a world that is a better world," Haq said.
Through public talks, free books and videos, the Sacramento group hopes to teach Westerners about Muhammad's life and teachings, even as the violence over the cartoons continues.
Hundreds of people protested in two Pakistani cities Tuesday, burning buildings housing Western businesses. Two people were killed and 11 injured, the Associated Press reported.
"While a handful of these protesters have resorted to violence, which Muslims wholly condemn, many more have engaged in peaceful protests such as partaking in boycotts and urging diplomatic action," said Dina El-Nakhal, a spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Sacramento Valley. "An even greater number, perhaps the majority of Muslims, feel deeply hurt by these cartoons."
The national campaign, called "Explore the Life of the Prophet Muhammad," offers seminars and the distribution of free educational materials. Leaders chose a PBS documentary, "Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet," and the book "Muhammad" by Yahiya Emerick for free distribution.
"We believe education is the key to solving a lot of the problems. There is a degree of ignorance on both sides of the issue," said Askia Mohammed Abdulmajeed, president of the California-based Muslim American Chaplains Association.
An educational day will be held Feb. 25 at the Community Center of SALAM, 4541 College Oak Drive. In addition, information about Muhammad, the video and book are available at the Web site www.cair.com.
The campaign is similar to one held following the desecration of the Quran at Guantánamo Bay. More than 27,000 Qurans have been distributed since the "Explore the Quran" campaign was launched in May 2005.
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