NMSU Student Promotes Understanding with Free Qurans
Noor, 27, has, to date, purchased and handed out about 300 copies of the Quran — the Muslim holy book — in hopes of educating NMSU students and staff who are interested in learning more about his religion. He said he hopes the effort will lead to a more harmonious campus community.
"For people who do not have Muslim friends, or are not in a place where there are Muslims for them to be in touch with — to talk with and have discussions — it can be hard for them to distinguish between what is correct and what is incorrect,” Noor said. "So we can’t blame them if they have wrong perceptions.”
Noor, believing that his fellow students at NMSU might be interested in learning about Islam directly from the source, came up with the idea.
"That’s the reason (I’ve been giving out) the books, so that people can read it themselves,” he said. "This way, they will have better judgment about Islam.”
Noor said he has studied other religions, just as he is encouraging others to do.
"I think it’s really interesting to know about other people and religions,” he said. "And then, once we know, we can better appreciate the similarities and differences and have a better understanding of each other. It brings more harmony to our communities. That’s the idea — give people the book, let them read it if they choose, and let them be the judge.”
At first, Noor purchased 100 Qurans, which he gave away on campus shortly before Thanksgiving. He said the response from students was overwhelmingly positive, so he ordered about 200 more.
"They were really grateful,” Noor said. "A lot of them thanked me; I was really surprised. Many of them wanted to learn about Islam from the source, but didn’t have the opportunity or know how to go about it. Overall, it has been a very positive experience.”
Noor has set up tables outside Corbett Center Student Union, Zuhl Library and the Garcia Hall dorms, he said. Because he is not part of a sanctioned NMSU club or student organization, NMSU’s Black Programs offered to sponsor him, allowing him to set up his tables to distribute the Qurans.
He said he hopes people will come to understand that our similarities are greater than our differences.
"We are not that different. We are all very, very similar. Our beliefs are really similar,” he said. "Once they read, and have some understanding, there will be much more harmony in society and in communities, which is good for all of us as a whole.”
While Noor said he sees his effort as very small and local, he believes there should be more dialogue between people of different faiths at the national and city levels.
"Even in the media,” he said. "If they could talk about these issues — especially nowadays. We see Muslims who, after the elections, may feel like they are not very much liked here, and some are worried about what the situation will be like in the next year or so. I think it would be very good to (foster) such open discussions. Hopefully people will get to know more about Muslims, and that will bring about more harmony in our communities.”
Jared Carson, the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church and president of NMSU’s Interfaith Council, is supportive of Noor's outreach.
"The NMSU Interfaith Council recognizes the religious diversity of the campus community, and we’re really pleased about Mr. Noor’s efforts to bring awareness and education about religious diversity to the NMSU community,” Carson said.
Carson has helped organize and host several interfaith discussions at Peace Lutheran Church in partnership with the Islamic Center of Las Cruces as a way of creating opportunities for conversation and improving understanding.
"Interfaith relationships in Las Cruces will continue to be valuable in the coming years as we build bridges of understanding between religious and faith communities,” Carson said.
Source: LCSUN
