Being thrown into the national spotlight was the last thing incoming freshmen at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill expected when returning to campus to complete their summer reading assignment. But that’s just what happened.
The assignment was to read a book about the Qur’an. The book, “Approaching the Qur’an: The Early Revelations,” by Michael A. Sells, a professor of religion at Haverford College, was supposed to be a lesson in understanding a culture. To some, it was forced indoctrination.
A conservative Christian group is suing the university, saying the school is violating First Amendment rights. Another group, the Family Policy Network, accused the university of state-sponsored religion.
“I can’t imagine [this constitutes] anything illegal,” said Michael Apple, a professor of educational policy studies at UW-Madison. “A lot of what is behind this is ultraconservative evangelicals who only believe God speaks to them. Had this been the Bible, they would have never objected.”
In Richmond, Va., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit agreed with Apple and upheld a lower court’s ruling allowing the discussions to take place.
Although the reading assignment was required, students who felt the reading violated their faith could opt out. Those who chose not to read the book were then assigned an essay requiring them to explain why they made their decision.
The summer reading program has concluded at UNC and discussions are over, but aftereffects remain. Tony Larson, Speaker of the UNC Student Congress, said students on campus viewed the situation as overblown.
“Students who read the book don’t seem to find the book at all controversial,” Larson said. “Students are supportive of the university’s decision to assign the book. There are a few who don’t support the choice. We recently passed a resolution 20-4 in support of academic freedom.”
The resolution passed by the UNC student government states that religious text set in an academic course “in no way violates a student’s basic rights or establishes the ascendancy of one set of religious beliefs over another.”
The university’s board of governors recently opposed a similar resolution in favor of academic freedom.
Larson said the summer reading program has created additional programs where students can learn about Islam. The book’s author is also planning a visit to the campus later this year.
