[Aaron Henkin] This metal box has hinges that allow the top curved part to open. It's a container for a Quran from the Tuareg people, most of whom live in the Saharan areas of Northern Africa. They were traditionally nomadic, so a small copy of a Quran makes sense. [Kathryn Wysocki Gunsch] This Tuareg Quran cover would've been worn around the neck with cords running through the holes on either side so that the wearer could keep the Quran close to his heart. There's an inscription that says In the name of Allah, the merciful, the compassionate. And you can see it reads, It is Allah who sustains the heavens and the earth. But even if you were able to read Arabic script, it would be difficult for you to pick out this inscription immediately. The artist has shifted the orientation of each letter in the phrases, so that one has to really meditate upon the letters to pick out the meaning of the phrase. And this idea of thoughtful contemplation, of meditation on the word of God, is a perfect metaphor for the relationship between the owner of this Quran cover and the Quran that was held inside.

[Aaron Henkin] We spoke about this Koran box with Ulid Khalifi from his home in Ghana. He's lived and worked with the Tuareg people of Northern Africa, and he sees the tradition of wearing Koran boxes around one's neck as very much connected to the Tuareg nomadic life. [Ulid Khalifi] It could be hanging on your chest for weeks and for months. Someone feels comfort in a very challenging environment, and a lot of them go through loneliness and long troubles, and they feel that they are not somehow alone. You need to look at it in a symbolic way towards the spirituality of the Tuareg people being Muslim, but it is not the same interpretation of Islam that you would find in the Middle East or in certain parts of Asia or even in North Africa. It is a reference for teachings when it comes to morality, not when it comes to daily practice, and this is what makes the Tuareg very different than the other three main schools of thought: Sunni, Shia, and Sufi.