September 13, 2002	Friday	Rajab 5, 1423

LOS ANGELES, Sept 12: A Muslim advocacy group, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), on Tuesday announced the launching of an elaborate plan to combat myths and misinformation about Islam by donating books, videos and DVDs with unbiased information to libraries across the nation, said Nihad Awad, executive director of CAIR.

“Most books written (about Islam) are inaccurate,” Awad said. “We believe that the lack of information about Islam is causing our nation to be divided.”

The national campaign, in which the public can purchase a package of 18 books and videotapes for donation to a local library, is a response to attacks against the Muslim religion and a heightened curiosity in the faith since Sept 11, Awad said.

The council’s California-based chapter began a similar project last year, before the terrorist attacks, largely because local libraries did not have books that Muslim parents could use to teach their children about their faith. Instead, the parents found books full of inaccuracies.