MSA Tackles Misconceptions about Islam
This year’s Islam Awareness Week in the University of Washington, held annually by the Muslim Students Association (MSA), will no longer fixate on who Muslim’s are not, but instead concentrate on who Muslims are.
“We want to tell people who we are,” MSA Senator Zain Khazi said. “We feel like the best way to clear misconceptions is to tell them [students] who we are. We are accomplishing both goals by taking a new approach.”
MSA President Ahsen Nadeem said the original and current purpose of Islam Awareness Week is to educate people about Islam and to change the narrative surrounding it.
Islam Awareness Week begins Monday with an event each afternoon Monday through Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in the HUB Lyceum and a talent show on Friday at 5 p.m. in Kane Hall.
Monday’s speaker, Sheikh Hamza, an alumnus of the MSA, will discuss Muslims who have contributed not only to Islamic history but also to world history. MSA internal coordinator, Kashaf Saleem, hopes the event will show students that Muslims contribute to society in a variety of positive ways, unlike how the media often portrays them.
“When you hear about Muslims you hear about how they have affected the world in a negative way,” Saleem said. “We need to start talking about Muslims in a positive way. Muslims who have accomplished a lot are often not acknowledged by the non-Muslim world, but they’ve done all these great things and they got all [their] inspiration from Islam.”
Tuesday’s event, “Misquoting Muhammad [PBUH]” will host former UW faculty member Jonathon Brown, who will discuss instances in which the words of the Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] were taken out of context in order to paint Islam in a negative light. On Wednesday, “Muslims in Media,” will focus on the portrayal of Muslims in current media forms. UW anthropology professor Michael Vincente Perez will address current issues, like the Boston bombings, in which several media forms immediately assumed the bombers were Muslim.
Author Lesley Hazleton will discuss her book, “The First Muslim: the Story of Muhammad [PBUH]” on Thursday. The MSA hopes that because Hazleton is not Muslim, Thursday’s event will be a more non-Muslim approach to the topic and will welcome different perspectives.
“It’s very important for non-Muslims to learn about the Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] too, I think there is a lot you can respect about this man,” Saleem said.
Finally, Friday night’s “Muslimtainment” event will be a showcase of the talents of the Muslim student body as well as a celebration for the MSA. Nadeem is particularly excited about this event.
“It will allow people to connect with our members and see we are the average university students,” he said. “It will also [eliminate] the misconception that Muslims don’t know how to have fun.”
Source: dailyuw.com
MSA President Ahsen Nadeem said the original and current purpose of Islam Awareness Week is to educate people about Islam and to change the narrative surrounding it.
Islam Awareness Week begins Monday with an event each afternoon Monday through Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in the HUB Lyceum and a talent show on Friday at 5 p.m. in Kane Hall.
Monday’s speaker, Sheikh Hamza, an alumnus of the MSA, will discuss Muslims who have contributed not only to Islamic history but also to world history. MSA internal coordinator, Kashaf Saleem, hopes the event will show students that Muslims contribute to society in a variety of positive ways, unlike how the media often portrays them.
“When you hear about Muslims you hear about how they have affected the world in a negative way,” Saleem said. “We need to start talking about Muslims in a positive way. Muslims who have accomplished a lot are often not acknowledged by the non-Muslim world, but they’ve done all these great things and they got all [their] inspiration from Islam.”
Tuesday’s event, “Misquoting Muhammad [PBUH]” will host former UW faculty member Jonathon Brown, who will discuss instances in which the words of the Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] were taken out of context in order to paint Islam in a negative light. On Wednesday, “Muslims in Media,” will focus on the portrayal of Muslims in current media forms. UW anthropology professor Michael Vincente Perez will address current issues, like the Boston bombings, in which several media forms immediately assumed the bombers were Muslim.
Author Lesley Hazleton will discuss her book, “The First Muslim: the Story of Muhammad [PBUH]” on Thursday. The MSA hopes that because Hazleton is not Muslim, Thursday’s event will be a more non-Muslim approach to the topic and will welcome different perspectives.
“It’s very important for non-Muslims to learn about the Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] too, I think there is a lot you can respect about this man,” Saleem said.
Finally, Friday night’s “Muslimtainment” event will be a showcase of the talents of the Muslim student body as well as a celebration for the MSA. Nadeem is particularly excited about this event.
“It will allow people to connect with our members and see we are the average university students,” he said. “It will also [eliminate] the misconception that Muslims don’t know how to have fun.”
Source: dailyuw.com
