Multicultural education seeks to include a range of perspectives often suppressed by the majority culture as well as include students from diverse backgrounds in the process of learning.  What is sometimes lost in efforts to create inclusive educational experiences is serious thought to how to welcome students of minority religions.  In the case of Muslim students, the barriers typically include lack of knowledge of Islam and strategies to accommodate Islamic religious practices in school settings.  In the same way it is essential to have classrooms that make students of different ethnicities, genders or family income levels feel invested in learning, it is equally essential to make Muslim students feel that they belong to the learning community. Like all students, we need to keep Muslim kids engaged in school because of the importance of high school diploma for so many post-secondary options students wish to explore.

Diversity within the Muslim community

Many Muslims in our schools are refugees or immigrants (often from East Africa), but there are also many Muslims who were born in Minnesota or somewhere else in the US.  The most recent refugees to Minnesota are from Burma and many of them are Muslim, reminding us that Islam has many faces.  I have come to see nationality as only one way Muslim students differ.  To a non-Muslim, the cultural differences often seem quite vast.  Muslim students differ, for example, with regard to how and when girls choose to veil, or how comfortable students are when doing classroom activities with members of the opposite gender.  It can be confusing to educators when they see students who identify as Muslim, behave in dramatically different ways.  Like in other religions, there is a wide range of practices that constitute “being Muslim” and when adolescence is thrown into the mix, decisions about “who you are” can change from day to day, or even moment to moment.  The call to educators is to be aware of religion as an important area of diversity among students and that Islam itself is diverse as it is enacted in families and individuals.

Because there are so many differences within Islam, being Muslim at school often presents very individualized challenges and responses to negotiating a religious identity within a non-Muslim learning climate.  Sadly, youth often feel caught between worlds, often embodied by vast differences between home and school cultures.  Negotiating this “in-between” can be difficult for Muslim youth and their families, but can also result in a process of intense and productive identity formation that results in strong individuals who have figured out ways of embracing and understanding the multiple layers of who they are.  This in-between place is quite real and many Muslim youth have become masterful in navigating it.  It is my hope that more and more Minnesota educators will become skilled at recognizing this important identity work in action and providing the anti-oppressive space and support for it to occur.

The politics of Islam at school

The media would have us think that religious extremists are all Muslim.  The negative portrayal of Islam in the media, and a preponderance of Islamophobia in the US, is not lost on Muslim students.  Being Muslim in a post 9-11 world can be difficult and students can feel pressure to represent an alternate view of Islam to non-Muslims.  They are also at risk for experiencing bias and discrimination at school.  For this reason, it is essential that all students learn about Islam and the perspectives of their Muslim classmates.

Some would contend that accommodating the needs of Muslim students in public schools violates the establishment clause of the first amendment separating church and state.  This is not so.  Providing food options without pork, physical education classes separated by gender, allowing girls to veil, accommodating fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, and releasing students to pray in no way jeopardizes the separation of church and state because the school is not sponsoring religion, only allows students to practice their religion.  Not doing so, on the other hand, does violate their constitutional rights in the US.

The skill and the will

Besides having the skill to create inclusive learning environments that welcome Muslim students, educators also need the will.  They must believe that religious diversity is important and may marginalize students.  Learning about Islam, the diversity within Islam, as well as understanding in more depth the way anti-Muslim views permeate the media and public consciousness, we can generate educational practices that will encourage Muslim students to stay engaged in school and find ways to be themselves wherever they are – at home or at school.

Educators wanting to know more about teaching Muslim students and about Islam in general have the opportunity to attend a free event this Saturday at the Islamic Center of Minnesota.  The event is part of the Institute for Global Studies’ Meeting Minnesota’s Muslims project, in collaboration with the Islamic Center of Minnesota and the Islamic Resource Group.  For more information, or to register, go to http://www.mmm.umn.edu/ or call 612-624-7346.

Martha Bigelow is an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Minnesota, with research interests in immigrant education, second language acquisition and multicultural education.

The war in Iraq has taken our attention away from other troubled areas of the Middle East. Cathy Sultan draws us back to Lebanon and Israel in Tragedy in South Lebanon, which was released in April. Through history, research, and personal interviews, she chronicles life in southern Lebanon and northern Israel during the brutal summer 2006 war. As in her other critically acclaimed books, Sultan focuses on ordinary people, who are overlooked by politicians and military leaders and become victims of poor decisions made by the governments of Israel, Lebanon, and the United States.

She vividly portrays the polluting effects of cluster bombs and explains how different factions within the Lebanese government keep it on the brink of further violence. She writes of the the tiny Shabba Farms area’s importance to Hezbollah and of the refugee camp that holds members of Fatah al-Islam, a Sunni militant group, despite efforts of the Lebanese army. Sultan also addresses media treatment of the war, dispels common myths about the region, and includes a timeline of Lebanese history, and maps depicting violence around the area.

Cathy is the author of two other award-winning books about the Middle East, which are now difficult to find, but I’ve managed to scrounge up some copies.  In 1969 she moved to Beirut with her Lebanese husband and two young children. She and her family survived the Lebanese civil war that began in 1975, a story recounted in A Beirut Heart. Sultan and her husband now reside in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She sits on the Executive Board of the National Peace Foundation, where her projects include a new partnership with Interfaith Peace Builders, co-leading delegations to Israel and Palestine.

EID MUBARAK (BLESSED EID)

We wish everyone in all places at all times a blessed Eid Mubarak. May Allah accept your good deeds and all your efforts during the blessed month of Dhul Hijjah. 

Later tonight is their 2nd Annual Ramadan Dinner. The program this year is titled, “American Muslims: Partners for Peace and Justice.” Speakers include: Mohamed Dini, Ibrahim Hooper, and Congressman Keith Ellison.

The program will include a tribute to the late Imam W.D. Mohammed. John L. Esposito, professor of religion, international affairs and Islamic studies at Georgetown University said of Muhammad: “W.D. Mohammed became a prominent figure in inter-religious affairs. He was the first Muslim to give an invocation in the U.S. Senate and in 1993, he offered the prayer during the first Inaugural Interfaith Prayer Service of President Bill Clinton. On September 11, as Americans commemorate the attacks and tragedy of 9/11, Warith Deen Mohammed will be buried. His passing and the memory of his accomplishments are a witness and fittingly a reminder of the heart of Islam and the vast majority of its followers.” Click here for the whole article.
 
Where:
Banquet Hall, New Brighton Community Center
400 10th Street NW, New Brighton, 55112

Cost: 
Tickets are $10/person.

All are welcome to attend. On-site babysitting will be available for young children and basketball and other games available for older children.

On September 1, the Republican Party will be in St. Paul, Minnesota for the Republican National Convention (RNC). More than 45,000 people, including 15,000 media employees, are expected to attend the 2008 convention.

The Coalition for Palestinian Rights, a Minnesota-based group of organizations and activists will plan to march on the 2008 RNC in solidarity with the people of Palestine and deliver a new message to Palestinians and to America.

To Palestinians: “We Stand By You.”

“You, you’re not aware
That we’re aware
Of your despair
Don’t show your tears
To your oppressor
Don’t show your tears

Try not to cry little one
You’re not alone
I’ll stand by you
Try not to cry little one
My heart is your stone
I’ll throw with you “

To Americans:  “Look Into My Eyes.”

“See I’ve known terror for quite some time
57 years so cruel
Terror breathes the air I breathe
It’s the checkpoint on my way to school
Terror is the robbery of my land
And the torture of my mother
The imprisonment of my innocent father
The bullet in my baby brother
The bulldozers and the tanks
The gases and the guns
The bombs that fall outside my door
All due to your funds
You blame me for defending myself
Against the ways of my enemies
I’m terrorized in my own land (what)
And I’m the terrorist?”

The march will congregate at the state capital.  We ask people to join us and bring their Palestinian flags and meet us at the state capital.

The Coalition for Palestinian Rights
http://coalitionforpalestinianrights.wordpress.com/
Coalition_for_Palestinian_Rights@yahoo.com

Note: “It shall be unlawful for any person participating… to carry or possess any length of metal, lumber, wood, or similar material for purposes of displaying a sign, poster, plaque or notice, unless such object is one-fourth (1/4) inch or less in thickness and two (2) inches or less in width, or if not generally rectangular in shape,such object shall not exceed three-fourths (3/4) inch in its thickest dimension.)

From a Taking Heart picnic, summer 2007.

Gail Anderson isn’t asking you to make a new best friend.

“I think if next Wednesday night, we get a number of Christians to walk into a mosque—
that’ve never been in a mosque before—then I think we’ve done something,” said Anderson, unity and relationships organizer with the Minnesota Council of Churches.

Anderson helps head up the interfaith project “Taking Heart,” which brings Muslim and non-Muslim neighbors together over good meals and good conversation.

The next event, set for May 14 at Masjid Ummat Muhammad, was designed for South Minneapolis residents. The program is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with two presentations: There will be a brief talk about Muslim prayer, and Anderson will discuss the Christian prayer tradition. Afterwards, free Middle Eastern food will be served, and people will be encouraged to mingle and talk.

But what if people self-segregate, and Christians sit together with Christians, and Muslims with Muslims?

“We don’t let ‘em,” Anderson said, and laughed.

Taking Heart organizers won’t let participants eat in silence, either. There will be note cards with discussion-starters at each table. Because the theme for next Wednesday’s event is prayer, the questions will be on that topic.

“And what we really encourage people to do is not go theological,” Anderson said. “Talk about being a kid, about where prayer’s been in your life. We’re looking for stories…. [Because] I think, through stories, people get to understand each other in a different way.”

Taking Heart, sponsored jointly by the Muslim-American Society (MAS) and the Minnesota Council of Churches (MCC), was the brainchild of Hesham Hussein, the former head of MAS who died earlier this year. After 9/11, local mosques and churches hosted a number of interfaith events where people could learn about theological issues. That type of event worked for some people, Anderson said.

“There are people who can come to things like that to get their heads involved,” she said. “But this is really a way to get their hearts involved.”

Part of Taking Heart: Learning to Listen

The Taking Heart initiative began 2004. Since then, some of its regular participants have worked in a soup kitchen together; others have visited the office of Rep. Martin Sabo. Taking Heart participants also held a solidarity march that went from a mosque to a church. And, in September 2005, a group of Muslims and Christians wrote a joint letter to the editor.

They wanted to write a letter that expressed “basically, that Muslims are unfairly connected to terrorism in the world,” Anderson said. “You think that’s sort of a simple thing—we all agree with that—but to work through the wording really deepened the relationship…. People had to compromise.”

There won’t be any letter-writing Wednesday night, Anderson said. The focus of the dinner will be to learn a little about prayer and to share stories. These stories could be about prayer, but they also could be about being a parent, or about the weather, or about work. “The day-to-day kinds of things.”

The Project’s Biggest Challenge

The biggest challenge in organizing Taking Heart events is not convincing Christians that it’s a good idea to get to know their Muslim neighbors.

“When I tell people about Taking Heart, they all say, What a great idea. And then we have an event, and we invite people, and people are busy,” Anderson said. “That is actually my biggest challenge.”

“If something horrible happens, then the interest will be up. But I don’t want that to happen.”

Anderson sees the Taking Heart project as still in its “beta testing” phase. But once they’ve worked through the kinks, she said, the group would like to take the project to Minnesota universities, colleges, and workplaces that have significant Muslim populations.

Ultimately, Anderson sees the Taking Heart program as building stronger, healthier communities. She describes relationships between two people or two organizations as being like a rope. “And in some ways, it could be very tenuous, like a tightrope.”

But if many relationships are formed between individuals and groups, then those ropes grow into a web or net. “So then, if something horrible does happen, that net will hold the community together.”

“That’s the imagery that keeps me going.”

South Minneapolis residents are encouraged to bring themselves and their neighbors to the Taking Heart dinner on Wednesday, May 14. The dinner is set to begin at 6 p.m. at Masjid Ummat Muhammad on 315 East Lake Street in Minneapolis.

Learn more:

• Information about the Taking Heart project from the Minnesota Council of Churches.
• A list of Minnesota interfaith resources.
• More about the Muslim-American Society of Minnesota.
• A map that shows the location of Masjid Ummat Muhammad.

Marcia Lynx Qualey works at the University of Minnesota. She also writes and raises two sons.

By Heba Abdel-Karim and Lolla Mohammed Nur, Engage Minnesota

“Imagine a world where people from different religious backgrounds come together to create understanding and respect by serving their communities.” – Interfaith Youth Core (www.ifyc.org)

On April 9, the Hillel Jewish Center, in union with the University of Minnesota’s Muslim Student Association, hosted and organized an interfaith discussion that brought together people of different faiths. The topic of the event was “humanity’s future,” and representatives of a number of different faiths spoke about how they see humanity progressing, and how our differences, as well as similarities, can better the community.

A little over a hundred people entered the room, determined to try something different: to go beyond their normal routine, talk to others of various faiths, and get to know them. Unsurprisingly, that’s what made the event—believed to be the first of its kind at the U—such a success. Attendees left politics aside and peacefully interacted with one another. In the end, they saw how similar, yet diverse and unique, we all were.

“I think that what group representatives, members, and the audience all liked the most was the atmosphere: nobody was on the defensive, nobody was being hostile, no group was being labeled with negative stereotypes,” comments EngageMN writer Lolla Mohammed Nur, pictured above to the left of Heba Abdel-Karim.

“The positive atmosphere was almost contagious!” says Mohammed Nur. “Some asked very insightful and sincere questions, and it was obvious that all audience members were there to genuinely learn about different faiths and beliefs. Everybody was there to help promote the message of religious tolerance and awareness.”

The panelists came from various campus organizations, such as Campus Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists (CASH), Baha’i Campus Association, Muslim Student Association (MSA), Hillel Jewish Center and the American Baptist Church.

“We are not here to prove that our religion is the correct belief, but we are here to acknowledge our differences, for it builds our identity,” said the American Baptist Church’s Jon Hartman in his introduction. “It’s important to recognize differences, so as to learn from them, but what’s more important is to recognize that we have common goals to better the community.”

A Baptist’s Peaceful Message

Hartman, the son of an American Baptist pastor, talked about the importance of religious pluralism in our society.

“Religious pluralism goes beyond mere tolerance for diversity and requires that we build positive relationships and work with one another. It is a state in which we respect one another’s religious identities, develop mutually enriching relationships with each other, and work together to make this world a better place.” Hartman quoted from the Bible, where it states that a “nation will not take up sword against sword…” (Micah 4:3) to reiterate his, and the panel’s, message of peace.

“Peace will restore in the future,” Hartman optimistically stated in his part of the discussion, “and everyone will have a place in the world.”

An Atheist’s View

Andrew Buttler, co-chair of CASH, gave a view of how atheists envision humanity’s future. “It’s impossible for me to represent all atheists,” he started out. “Many resist any label for their beliefs at all.”

Buttler then explained the main aspects of atheism as he saw them. Empiricism was an important one: Atheists believe that everything they know about the world comes from observations. “Through empiricism, it is viewed that ethical values are derived from human need as tested by experience.”

Buttler also acknowledged, as did Hartman, that working to benefit society maximizes happiness. “Do good work for your society and you feel happy. The two are almost always associated with each other.”

The Baha’i Faith: Working to Eliminate Prejudice

The Baha’i Faith also spreads the belief of the unity of mankind (as well as religions), and aims to eliminate all forms of prejudice.

Ben Grimes, treasurer of the Baha’i Campus Association, described the faith by stating, “It is the newest of the world’s major religions and is founded upon the principle of unity in diversity, embracing the cultural and religious diversity of the world and striving to show how such diversity adds beauty and color to the world of humanity. We must search for ways to bring humanity together.”

Muslim Student Association: Islam a Progressive Way to Define Humanity

Members of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), James Faghmous and Malik Harfi, spoke about how Islam envisions humanity’s future compared to the other faiths. Harfi began: “Our realities begin with one true God, the all-knower, the all-knowledgeable who created all of humanity. When he created existence, he also created the laws by which everything runs. But humans have the choice of which path we take. We are all born, we all die, and we all take a path. To follow this path harmoniously to God,” he continued, “is Islam.”

Faghmous added that Islam was sent to all humanity, not to a specific tribe or group. “It came as a progressive way to define humanity.” For instance, Faghmous explained that Muslims must pay zakat (charity) to the poor and needy, for it is one of the five pillars of Islam. This zakat must comprise 2.5 percent of one’s annual savings.

For the same reason that Muslims pay zakat to the needy, they also wish for a better world. “We are held accountable for everything because it is essentially not ours; we believe that it is all owned by Allah and to him everything shall return,” Faghmous said. Muslims believe that money, for instance, is granted by God, and that He knows how much we own.

In the same manner, we care for the world because it is was created and is owned by God. For this reason along with others, “We need to create harmonious existence, and be sensitive to everyone’s religious differences.”

The Story of Rabbi Hillel

Eve Shapiro and Brad Serber, representatives of the Hillel Jewish Student Center, began their discussion with the story of Rabbi Hillel, one of the most important figures in Jewish history.

The story begins with a non-Jewish man who wanted to become a follower of Judaism. While standing on one foot, the man asked different rabbis to teach him the Torah. Each rabbi declined, saying that Judaism was too complex to understand.

However, when the man asked Rabbi Hillel to teach him, Hillel agreed by replying with the following quote: “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation [commentary]; go and learn.” Although there are other renditions of the story, all have the same message: love your neighbor as you love yourself. This powerful message of loving one another was the embodiment of the interfaith panel discussion, and all present could relate to it.

The Jewish panelists also explained the concept of Sadakah in Judaism, which is the act of paying ten percent of one’s annual income to ensure that people are helping each other. The simple fact that the same word for charity is used in both Islam and Judaism illustrates the similarities shared in diverse religions when it comes to supporting the humanitarian cause.

As Eve Shapiro said, “We are all people–humans. We all deserve rights to a fulfilling life.”

What Next?

Unfortunately, for many participants, the panel discussion ended too soon. All present-–whether they were Atheist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Baha’i–-seemed to have enjoyed themselves. After the panel discussion, audience members held informal conversations, walking around and introducing themselves to one another. It was wonderful to see believers of various or no faiths to come together, and to start on the path of understanding each other.

The event was such a success that “the Interfaith Youth Core wants to work with the organizations that participated in the panel on doing future activities such as the interfaith discussion,” says Kafiya Ahmed, MSA advertising coordinator. “They hope to continue a tradition of interfaith dialogue at the University of Minnesota.”

The Interfaith Panel Discussion was a huge step forward, and although communication is just the beginning, the panel left everyone with the message that open dialogue is the basis of teaching tolerance and understanding one another.

Heba Abdel-Karim currently resides in Fridley, Minn. and is a student at the University of Minnesota. Lolla Mohammed Nur is a freshman and an international student from Saudi Arabia. She is currently a biology major at the University of Minnesota but is exploring her newfound interest in poetry and cultural diversity.

On the night of January 27, three men entered Mohammad Ismail’s Blaine Dairy store as he was closing shop and threw flaming glass bottles at the walls, destroying everything in the store. Ismail escaped through the smoke-filled store with minor cuts and burns. A strong expletive directed at the word “Arab” was founded spray painted on the side door that same night. The FBI is investigating the possibility of a hate crime.

Exactly two months later, on March 27, roughly 75 community leaders and concerned citizens gathered at Anoka Technical School to talk about what they were going to do about hate crime in their community. The crowd looked small in the auditorium, but the conversation was constructive, with many speakers stressing the need to forgive those who cause harm, educate the public, and get to know one’s neighbors. As an example of the meeting’s overall goals of unity, the event was cosponsored by the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Lake Harriet United Methodist Church, the Anoka Technical Student College Senate, and the NAACP.

“This city won’t tolerate hate crimes,” Blaine Mayor Tom Ryan stated, declaring that he had only seen two hate crimes in Blaine during his 22 years as an elected official, and those were both solved within a week.

Mohammad Ismail’s case has been open for two months. Much of the early investigation focused on Ismail himself, including searching his home and requiring him to take a polygraph test, which he passed. The store was his family’s only source of income, and Mohammad Ismail’s insurance will not accept a claim until a final police report has been filed. Lt. Chris Olson, who was present at the meeting, stated that the police department was committed to following all leads and would not make a final report until they had considered all the options.

It seems, stated Nathaniel Khalik of the St. Paul branch of the NAACP, that investigations move slower when African-Americans or Muslims are involved. Ismail was in the store when the attackers entered, and that makes the case attempted murder. The NAACP is adding $500 to information that leads to the arrest of the attackers. The total reward now stands at $4000. Anyone with information is asked to call the Blaine Police Department at (763) 785-6168.

Muslim citizens who spoke of peace and education at the event were familiar with Muslim-focused crimes throughout the metro area.

Zafar Siddiqui, president of the Islamic Resource Group, told the audience that his wife was nearly run off the road on the anniversary of 9/11 by a person shouting racial epithets. She was driving their four children home from school.

The garage of the chairwoman of CAIR was vandalized by a paintball gun while they were out doing errands on March 25, two days before the town meeting. It was the second time in several months that this had happened, said her husband, who spoke of their emphasis on getting to know their neighbors.

Zafar Siddiqui, whose car was scraped but whose family was unhurt, stressed that these hateful actions are based on misunderstandings. Both Muslim and non-Muslim attendees suggested that Muslims volunteer in schools, meet their neighbors, and take part in neighborhood crime-watch groups. The goal, speakers agreed, was to combat media-induced fear with personal relationships.
One speaker, a white man who identified himself as Christian, said he drives daily past the Blaine Dairy but had not known until recently that the fire had been due to arson. He apologized to the crowd that someone who might have looked like him could have committed such a hateful crime.

Admitting that he knew little about Islam, he told the crowd he always avoided eye contact with Muslim women so as not to offend them. A young African-American woman wearing a scarf politely explained that Muslim men and women were allowed to talk but not to mingle or touch. Event mediator Chris Schumacher of CAIR acknowledged the courage it takes to admit when you don’t know something.

A member of Judson Memorial Baptist Church in southwest Minneapolis presented a check to help Mohammad Ismail’s family. The Lake Harriet United Methodist Church in Minneapolis, which helped sponsor the event, will also be taking an offering for the family. Ismail has three young children ranging from two to seven. Ismail’s extended family and friends have been helping them survive.
For information about the Islamic Resource Group or to schedule an informational presentation about Islam, visit www.irgmn.org or call (612) 676-0165.

–Emily K. Bright is a creative writing MFA candidate at the University of Minnesota and works as the Scribe for Human Rights, writing articles on human rights themes. She was involved in putting on Thursday night’s meeting.

This article originally appeared in our partner publication the Twin Cities Daily Planet and is reposted with permission.

There is little doubt that many Minnesotans misunderstand Islam and the Muslim community. Misconceptions of Islam, however, did not arise out of empty air; the actions of a radical few have led people to see Islam as a barbaric religion. Although the frustration of “radicals” may be understood, there certainly are more peaceful ways of expressing one’s Islamic beliefs to the non-Muslim community, namely through spreading knowledge (da’wah).

Islamic Awareness Week is an example of such peaceful expression. The week includes a range of activities, from a simulation of “flying while Muslim” to a lecture on “Science in Islam.” The 2008 event is set to take place March 31 through April 4, and is sponsored by the University of Minnesota’s Muslim Student Association and Al-Madinah Cultural Center.

Evening Lectures Get ‘Back to the Basics’

The topics of this year’s Islamic Awareness Week evening lectures are based on a “back to the basics” theme. They include:

• Monday: “The concept of God in Islam,” presented by Sheikh Khalid Yasin
• Tuesday: A panel discussion of the American Muslim identity
• Wednesday: “The Prophets of Islam,” by Imam Siraj Wahaj
• Thursday: “Science in Islam,” by Prof. George Saleba
• Friday: “Women in Islam,” by Imani Jaafar-Mohammed

The lectures on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will take place in the University of Minnesota’s Willey Hall, Room 125 (map it). The lectures on Thursday and Friday will take place in the U. of M.’s Anderson Hall, Room 210 (map it). Both buildings are on the University’s West Bank campus on either side of Washington Avenue and east of 19th Street. Each lecture is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8 p.m. The goal of each is to discuss basic Islamic principles.

“There is no need to be on the defense,” says Nadia Huq, an organizer of this year’s Awareness Week. Rather, the lectures and activities will be based on what non-Muslims need to know about what is essentially Islam.

Islamic Awareness Week: Not Just a Load of Lectures

There also are a number of creative daytime activities, all at Coffman Memorial Union (see a map) south of Washington Avenue on the U. of M.’s East Bank campus. These include:

• An airport simulation on Monday outside Coffman. This will represent what it is like for a Muslim to be searched in an airport (11 a.m.-2 p.m.).
• On Tuesday, a photography exhibit of the Muslim-American identity will be displayed in the President’s Room in Coffman (noon-2 p.m.).
• Thursday’s event—the Islamic civilization exhibit in Coffman’s Great Hall (11 a.m.- 2 p.m.)— is the most creative event so far, with a display of scientific discoveries made by Muslims, as well as a large-scale timeline of Islam-related events around the world. There will also be a section on Islamic culture and history in Africa, as well as a marbling and calligraphy workshop.
• On Friday, there are two events. “Hijabi for a Day”—where volunteers hand out free hijabs (scarves) for women to wear for the day—and a nasheed performance. Nasheed is a popular “a capella” form of religious singing. Both will take place outside Coffman from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Last year, “Hijabi for a Day” was such a success that the committee decided to host the event again this year. The difference this year is that the committee received several free hijabs from the Karmel Somali mall in Minneapolis. Another advantage this year is that Holy Land Deli will serve free food during every night’s lecture.

Reaching Out to the Public

The IAW committee has devoted its time since November to putting ideas together, talking to the general Muslim student body, contacting potential speakers, and reserving spaces for lectures. As Volunteer Coordinator and board member of Al-Madinah, I have seen that the committee has made a strong effort to reach out to the public. Furthermore, the committee has striven to make this year’s Islamic Awareness Week very creative and catchy, using a “back to the basics” theme throughout the lectures and activities.

The fliers were designed to catch the public’s attention, with their black and white pictures of curious-looking Muslims staring at the onlooker. Fliers were posted all around campus and in local stores and restaurants, but everyone – from anywhere in Minnesota – is welcome to attend. The organizers of Islamic Awareness Week feel that we, as a representative of the real Muslim community, need to reach out to the public and make as much da’wah as possible.

Organizers expect Islam Awareness Week will be a great success, and are hoping for at least 200 attendees for each lecture. Islamic Awareness Week is the most important event that the Muslim Student Association and Al-Madinah host every year because it is a source of da’wah to many non-Muslims who have come to equate Islam with terrorism and believe that all Muslims are terrorists. Da’wah can help dispel these beliefs and restore the true, peaceful, image of Islam.

So brothers and sisters, please support your Muslim community and participate in Islamic Awareness Week by attending at least one event – and bringing a friend. The entire Minnesota community is welcome. Participating in da’wah together can only bridge the gap of misunderstandings and spread knowledge of the true and beautiful entity of Islam.

Lolla Mohammed Nur is a freshman and an international student from Saudi Arabia. She is currently a biology major at the University of Minnesota but is exploring her newfound interest in poetry and cultural diversity.

By Marcia Lynx Qualey, Engage Minnesota

It was 1998 when Basimah Hasan left her hometown of Chicago for Minneapolis.

In the Twin Cities, she attended nursing school and began her career at North Memorial Hospital. She says that there is a “big difference” between the Minneapolis and Chicago Muslim communities.

“[There are] more Muslims in Chicago, and they’re more active. Here, everyone seems to be in their own ethnic groups. You don’t see a lot of activities going on, versus in Chicago.”

But, if there’s not enough activity, Hasan (pictured above) is not one to sit back and wait for someone else to start it up. The nurse, talk-show host, screenwriter, community activist, and producer is stirring up all sorts of action.

Through her nonprofit Hasan Publications Dawah Center, Hasan launched the “Islamic View.” The talk show aims not just to reach the Muslim community, but, more importantly, to reach non-Muslims with positive stories about Islam.

Why television?

“It’s images,” she says. “This is where we get our information from.”

‘Islamic View’ Gets Its Start

The story of “Islamic View” begins when Basimah Hasan was thirteen years old.

“My family wasn’t Muslim,” says Hasan. “That was a decision I made after reading about all the different religions.” Thirteen-year-old Hasan read about Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism.

“And when I got to Islam, I just knew that that was the religion for me.”

Hasan launched the nonprofit HP Dawah Center in 2003, but the spark for “Islamic View” came in 2001.

“I really believe the spark was from seeing all the negative things on television, especially after September 11. That’s when people really started looking at Muslims differently, hating them, without even knowing them.”

“I wanted people to know: No, we’re not like that. This is what we practice, this is what we believe.”

The project has been slowly growing, she says. In the summer of last year, she began to rent a studio. Most recently, Hasan has begun to incorporate Islamic-themed poetry into the show.

The first poem is set to air this Friday, March 21, after an interview with Imam Neelain Muhammad. In the pre-recorded show, Muhammad and Hasan talk about dawah, or the propagation of Islam. In the second half of the show, Muhammad—who is also a martial arts instructor—gives tips for Muslim and non-Muslim women who want to learn self-defense.

“And then there’s the poem at the end,” Hasan said.

It was just recently that Hasan put out a call to local Muslim poets.

“She [Nandi] called and said a poem over the phone. And I said, ‘Wow.’”

Hasan notes that if you miss the show on Friday, or don’t have access to Channel 16, you can still watch the reading of Nandi’s “The Black Woman is Dead” on YouTube. (Watch it now.)

Through poetry, interviews, and talk-show chat, Hasan tries to combat a few key stereotypes about the Muslim community: “that Muslim women are oppressed, that we’re practicing a hateful religion, and that we’re terrorists.”

Others who’ve appeared on the show include local politicians and civic leaders, such as Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, community leaders, and people around the community.

There’s no script, Hasan says. “We just talk, just like we sitting at a table, having a conversation.”

Next: A Muslim-Themed Soap Opera?

Another media project Hasan has on the boil moves outside the talk-show format.

“I plan on putting together a drama series that would be Muslim-based, that would show people the everyday situations and circumstances we go through,” Hasan says. “It would be almost soap-opera like, but from a Muslim perspective.”

“So [non-Muslims] can see the human side of us.”

Currently, Hasan is at work on scripting. “I have characters; I have names for them; I have some situations.” She plans to send out a casting call soon.

If Not Muslims, Then Who?

Hasan doesn’t know the exact number of people who watch “Islamic View,” or whether they’re Muslims or non-Muslims. She does get a number of phone calls. “They will call and say, ‘I liked the show,’ or they might ask about the person who was on the show. And then you get the calls that are negative.”

“I know Muslims are watching,” Hasan says, “but I know non-Muslims are watching, too.”

And that’s important, she says, because the show is “mainly for non-Muslims, because they are the ones who need to be educated. As Muslims, we have to help them understand” that the images they see on TV give a distorted picture of Islam.

“The people who have negative views [have them] because of the images that were projected to them,” she says. “We have to change that distortion. As Muslims, that’s an obligation on us.”

“Because if we don’t do it, who else will?”

Want to Know More About ‘Islamic View’?

• Watch the show: It airs on Time Warner’s local cable station in Minnesota on Channel 16 every Friday at 4 p.m.
• Want to participate in the show? Have a poem to submit? Email Hasan at hpdawahcenter@yahoo.com.
• Want to help? Says Hasan: “They could support by giving donations, they could support by volunteering to help, or by spreading information about the show.” If you’re interested, visit the website or email hpdawahcenter@yahoo.com.
• Learn more about HP Dawah’s other activities, such as providing Islamic literature to inmates and participating in the Twin Cities’ Juneteenth celebration, at their website.

–Marcia Lynx Qualey is a mother, a writer, and is affiliated with the University of Minnesota in various ways. She is also an editor at EngageMN.com.