The recent outcry surrounding Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses has hidden the real importance of Rushdie's infamous novel.

Last semester a graduate English course included Rushdie's book on the reading list as an example of post-modernist literature. Moslem students protested throughout the semester, expressing their concern about the book's use.

The book is offensive to Moslems; Rushdie attacks many of the beliefs that guide a Moslem's daily life.

But banning the book from graduate or undergraduate English courses is equivalent to throwing it onto the bonfires.

The University's 1,000-strong Moslem community justly raised concern about the worth of teaching Rushdie's insensitive novel. Such protest is within their constitutional rights.

Undeniably Moslems have the right to actively persuade others that they find the book insulting. But the same fundamental right that permits people to demonstrate also permits people to learn about the book in an open classroom.

Academic freedom at Penn State is not guided by dogmas of religion. Satanic Verses is offensive to Moslems, but that fact does not take away from the importance of learning why it is offensive.

Many parts of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn are offensive to members of the black community. But there is educational worth to pointing out why Twain, who was a product of his time period, used such syntax and diction.

Of course teaching such a novel must be handled responsibly because students may accept Rushdie's opinions for fact. Non-Moslems need to understand why the passages in Rushdie's book are offensive to Moslems. For students to understand why many of Rushdie's ideas are simply wrong would lead toward a better understanding of the rich Islamic tradition.

But if students do not even have the opportunity to learn, only ignorance will remain. Teaching tempered with restraint and sensitivity about why Rushdie's book is offensive could open the doors to a better understanding of the Islamic world.