Where To Buy A Qur'an In Chicago

By Kevin Robinson in News on Sep 11, 2010 3:10PM

As the United States marks the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacked, this year's date is perhaps one of the most politicized. At the center of that politicization, unfortunately, is a small-town Florida pastor hijacked attention with his declarations that today be declared "International Burn a Koran" day, and his near-insistence that his church will torch a stack of Qur'ans at sundown today. And while Terry Jones has since declared that "We will definitely not burn the Qur'an," on the national news, "not today, not ever," the fact of the matter remains that hundreds of millions of people are still offended by the display of ignorance. Across the internet, pleas have been talking about a counter-demonstration of sorts, calling today "International Buy a Qur'an Day." And even if you don't see yourself participating in a global protest against Gainesville's Terry Jones, this could also be an opportunity to read the sacred text of one of the major world religions.

So where does one buy a Qur'an in Chicago? Unsurprisingly, the majority of Islamic bookstores are on Devon Ave, the heart of Chicago's Indian and Pakistani communities. And while you can probably buy a Qur'an at most major booksellers, the trip to Devon is well worth the journey. Islamic Books and Things at 2601 W Devon Avenue is a small store, but jam-packed with books about Islam, including the Qur'an. Further down the street, the Iqra Book Center, also on Devon Ave (2749 W Devon Ave) stocks a wide-selection of Islamic books and reading materials. And if you can't make it that far up north, Kazi Publications, at 3023 West Belmont Avenue, is the oldest Islamic publisher in North America, and serves as "a resource for Muslims and non-Muslim readers."