Are many Americans self-centered xenophones? No...

ABC News again has another gem. Apparently, some Christian students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, led by the intimidatingly-named "Family Policy Network" are objecting to the fact that they had to read a book that said Islam isn't evil. The book, called Approaching The Qur'án, The Early Revelations contains exerpts from the Koran as well as commentary on it. From the abcnews.com article:

"It doesn't provide any insights whatsoever into what could have caused people to act in the name of Allah on Sept. 11," said Terry Moffitt, chairman of the Family Policy Network.

Well, Mr. Moffitt, maybe that's because the terrorits "acting in the name of Allah" didn't have anything to do with anything out of the Koran. Maybe the terrorists were bad men twisting a religion that condemns murder, and even suicide, as haram or "evil". (Someone correct me if I'm spelling that wrong.) You know, just like the Bible says "Thou Shalt Not Kill", but for 2000 years bad men have been blithely ignoring that, too.

What really irks me, though, is that the "Family Policy Network" sounds like the kind of group that wants "God put back in public schools". Specifically, their god. But a book that teaches about another culture? Never.

At least I can take hope in the fact that not all the students were so close-minded. The article goes on to quote a student named Johnny Gilbert, saying:

"I found nothing offensive," Gilbert said. "I mean, I'm a Baptist myself, and I found nothing offensive in there. I mean, it was something different. It was new, and I think change is what a lot of people are afraid of."

Well put.