MCC packs the union for ‘Being Muslim in America’
Friday / October 14, 2016
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Marshalltown Community College’s Diversity Committee hosted a panel discussion entitled “Being Muslim in America” this week in the Faust Student Union. With a packed room of students and staff, the panelists shared stories and answered questions for an audience that was both interested and engaged.
Panelists included Miriam Amer, founder and Executive Director of the Iowa chapter of Council on American Islamic Relations in Cedar Rapids; Imam Mahjoob Jaily, Chaplain of Darul Arqum Islamic Center in Ames; Dema Kazkaz, a Syrian-American activist who earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Northern Iowa and a master’s degree in Islamic Studies at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut; MCC student-athlete Soufiane (Souf) Mensah, a native of France who plays basketball and speaks four languages; and Dr. Sal Syed, a practicing Muslim who immigrated to the U.S. from South India and has lived in Ames for nine years. Professor George Johnson was the panel moderator.
MCC Provost Dr. Robin Lilienthal gave a welcome, followed by a music video from an Arab artist and a PowerPoint overview of Islam presented by Imam Jaily. The audience also had an opportunity to ask questions of the panelists.
Diversity Committee Chairperson and English Professor Carolyn Briggs summed up the sentiment of the event in her introductory comments, saying, “There is so much human need in this world. We have to solve problems like climate change and world hunger by coming together. What Souf and I have in common is much greater than our differences. I hope that is your takeaway today. I’m betting most people in this room do not have a friend who is Muslim. It’s time you did.”
Imam Jaily said that true Islam preaches love and kindness to all living things, and that a devout Muslim would not hurt even a flower, let alone another person. Islamic law prohibits terrorism. He explained how media coverage of terrorism and oppression has unfairly linked Islam with terrorism, and how fear of and discrimination against all Muslims has unfortunately grown more prevalent as a result. He encouraged students to listen for biases in the news and in their daily interactions with others, and to question those biases and replace them with their own informed judgments.
Souf Mensah, starting point guard for the MCC Tigers, told the audience that many people advised him not to come to America because they believed he would find distrust and anger toward Muslims. That has not been his experience in Marshalltown, however. He said he has found many friends, helpful professors, and supportive coaches and team members at MCC.
Miriam Amer said she was born in North Carolina and raised on a military base while her father served in the U.S. military. She said she has a deep affection for the U.S., but that many people make assumptions about her background and demeanor based on her religion, and don’t get to know her as an individual or a Muslim American.
Dema Kazkaz told students that people often assume she’s wearing her hajib (a headscarf worn by some Muslim women in the presence of adult males outside of their immediate family as a sign of modesty) at her husband’s insistence, or that she’s somehow subjugated by her husband. To the contrary, she said her husband encouraged her not to wear the hajib because he felt it would cause her undue scrutiny or discrimination in public. She said he supports her use of the veil because she feels so strongly that it’s a public affirmation of her faith and beliefs.
The MCC Diversity Committee will hold a second event in the spring.