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Desecrated Koran Delivered by Amazon.com

HeadlineMay 20, 2005

A Muslim woman who ordered a Koran through Amazon.com says that when the holy book arrived it had profanity and religious slurs written on its cover. Azza Basarudin said she received the Koran by mail on May 5 after ordering it through a used books division of Amazon.com that allows customers to order directly from third-party sellers approved by the company. When she opened the Koran, she said she found profanity and the phrase “Death to all Muslims” written on the inside page in thick black marker. Basarudin is a graduate student in women’s studies at UCLA. She said she was overwhelmed by fear similar to what she felt after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks when her sister and mother were the target of anti-Muslim slurs. The store that sold the book, Bellwether Books, apologized to Basarudin by e-mail and offered to replace the book. Amazon.com also apologized, reimbursed her for the Koran’s cost and mailed her a gift certificate. A number of Muslim civil rights groups have called for an investigation.

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