# CAIR Begins its Qur�an Giveaway in Aftermath of Desecration Report May 28, 2005 Source: Lexington Herald-Leader On May 28, 2005 the *Lexington Herald-Leader* reported, "An American Muslim organization, reacting to controversy generated by the retracted story about the desecration of the Quran, has offered to give a free copy of the holy book to any American. The giveaway, which, depending on demand, could go as high as 100,000 copies, comes after a recent Newsweek article -- and its retraction -- alleging that the text was flushed down a toilet, said leaders of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. 'We want to turn a negative image into a positive one,' said Altaf Ali, the council's Florida director. 'America's image is taking a beating, and it's affecting us all, of different faiths.' Those who call the council's national toll-free line, 1-800-784-7526, can get a free copy of the holy book, Ali said. Local Muslim communities around the country will be asked to underwrite the campaign." See also:- [ Advocacy/Government ](/news-stories/advocacygovernment) - [ Islamophobia ](/news-stories/islamophobia) - [ Peace/War ](/news-stories/peacewar) - [ Islam ](/religions/islam) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)