Muslim Students Talk Stereotypes, Islamic Faith
Muslim K-Staters weighed in about their Islamic faith and how it plays a role in their lives.
For some Muslims at K-state, Islam is not just a religion, it is a peaceful way of life.
"I practice Islam everyday in every single area of my life,” Sami Dhawi, senior in engineering technology, said. "So it’s like a lifestyle for me.”
"Islam is not just praying or fasting, it’s a way of life,” Fatmah Al-Qadfan, graduate student in theater, said. "So, it’s like extending kindness, it’s being studious, it’s being kind to animals and people, your neighbors.”
Though Western media often portrays Middle Eastern countries as hostile and violent toward other religions, some Muslims students said that is inaccurate.
"(The media) wants to give you a message, and their message, I think, is all Muslims are terrorists and all Muslims are bad, even though sometimes they don’t say that clearly,” Dhawi said. "Sometimes they give a picture of an accident or a bomb or something like that and then they bring up an Arabic picture. They’ll put these pictures together, and they’ll say, ‘What do you think?'”
According to Lama Alanazi, senior in interior design, Islam teaches Muslims to be peaceful to everyone.
"For starters, we say hi to each other with a phrase, ‘May peace and God’s mercy be upon you,’ so Islam asked us to greet each other like this for a reason,” Alanazi said. "It did not say fight with your brothers. It said greet others with peaceful greetings.”
Alanazi said many Muslim cultures are very welcoming.
"I love my culture,” Alanazi said. "I love how hospitable we are. They’re very hospitable. Even when I invite friends over to my house, I still have that Arabic hospitality in me, so I do all these crazy things. I’m used to it.”
