It doesn't matter how beautiful, artistic, ornate, and inspiring the physical text of the Koran is presented. The words of the Koran in content, context, and intent is always violent intolerant hate speech against non-Muslims.
I believe all elected and public officials should be required to read the Koran. This is the only way non-Muslims can understand Islam and the beliefs of Muslims. What is contained in the Koran is accepted as the word of god spoken by the archangel Gabriel to the prophet Mohammad. This must be read by all officials because there is a national security aspect to the Koran which cannot be ignored. These are the rules, with Shariah Law, by which Muslims conduct their lives whether living in the west or the middle east. The rules, demands, and requirements are not up for discussion for Muslims. These are the words of god that must be blindly obeyed by all Muslims.
The future of America will be determined how America deals with Islam. The radical extremist Islamist is often used to describe terrorists. Nonsense. Anyone that worships with the Koran is guilty of violence and intolerance of others whether they perform a violent act, or just sit by and watch as other Muslims perform a violent act. The watchers are just as guilty. Based on their beliefs all Muslims are radical extremists. The only difference is some Muslims don't perform the violent acts themselves, but publicly or privately applaud those who do.
If you want to defeat your enemy, and Islam is the enemy against non-Muslims, then understand your enemy and what he believes. If we understand what he believes, and realize that a huge untapped portion of the Muslim community is a possible solution. Muslim women are an abused, discriminated against, brutalized, and honor killed hidden individuals that have no say in Islam or Shariah law. In fact they are targets of violence of Shariah Law. Perhaps there is an opportunity for redefining the role of women in Muslim society. If Muslim women don't have babies then Muslims cannot out breed the West.
If Muslim women are no longer stoned, hung, lashed, honor killed, and killed after rape, perhaps some new rights will be afforded Muslim women. A new more tolerant voice might emerge from Islam. The west can try to remove the fangs of Islam from within?