Ibrahim Wang is a Muslim student and member of the Muslim
Student Association. He is a third-year economics and political
science student.
In the post-Sept. 11 world, Americans share a mutual outrage.
But unique to one particular group of Americans in this nation-wide
grieving process is a second outrage.
It’s what Muslim Student Association member and third-year
political science student Ibrahim Wang calls “guilt by
association,” or the assumption that all Muslims are
terrorists because Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda integrate Islam
into the rhetoric of their political agenda.
What’s distressing about his, Wang says, is that guilt by
association is particularly hurtful when Muslims in America feel
just as much outrage as non-Muslim Americans do.
Fortunately, however, on the UCLA campus, Wang and his fellow
believers have received “genuine support” from other
students and organizations, and this overrides the “dirty
looks” and insults they’ve received from others.
With the Daily Bruin, Wang clears up misconceptions about Islam,
discusses the war on terror, and speaks enthusiastically about his
people’s commitment to social justice.
DB: What are the tenants of Islam, for those who may not
know?
IW: Islam is comprised of faith, matched up with rituals. The
five pillars govern our actions and intentions. The first is
proclaiming, which means acknowledging one God and Muhammad, his
messenger. The second is prayer. The third is zakat, or charity.
Muslims are obligated to allot a certain amount of income to
helping the poor. The fourth is fasting, which helps Muslims
practice self-restraint and patience. And the fifth is hajj, or a
pilgrimage to Mecca.
But all these things have to be practiced with a proper
understanding of Islam and with the right intentions. Everything we
do is for a higher purpose, which is God. This is what Islam is
about. In all personal and social relations, a higher authority is
watching to make sure you are treating people fairly. Eventually
you will be held accountable for your actions and intentions. This
is why you should help people.
 DANIEL WONG/ Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Wang, a Muslim student, discusses the way in which
Sept. 11 has affected the Islamic community. DB: Why is Islam a
valuable religion?
IW: At the core of the Islamic community are values of social
justice. If people looked closer at the on-campus organizations
Muslims are a part of, it is very apparent that this is ingrained
in what Muslims do. We tutor, we help incarcerated youth, and
through Al-Talib, our newspaper, we try to inform people about what
Islam and Muslims are all about. All these things are part of a
framework of social justice, and a way of life for everybody, not
just Muslims.
DB: Do you feel Islam is under attack in the post-Sept. 11
world?
IW: Definitely. In this country, as American citizens and
residents, Muslims have been attacked by the U.S. government in
through legislation like the Patriot Act, which severely curtails
civil rights. That’s not just Muslim people’s rights,
but everybody’s. We hold those rights to be very valuable and
inalienable. The president has also called for the interrogation of
500 students and immigrants based only upon their religious and
cultural background.
DB: What about the war?
IW: The war is political and it has targeted Muslims so in a
sense, it has targeted Islam as well. This is not a view held only
by Muslims, but by many people. But American foreign policy is now
shaped and legitimized by the fact that we were attacked on Sept.
11. So now we use the term “war on terrorism” to frame
or justify anything we do. But that’s not justifiable.
The Muslim stance in the world has been quite clear: Muslim
organizations were among the first to condemn this action. But you
know things are bad when George Bush can claim that you’re
either “with us or against us.” Anyone who dissents is
“against us,” and therefore grouped into the
“axis of evil.”
DB: Some political figures have tried to justify racial
profiling of Middle Eastern people at places like airports because
they can point to the Middle Eastern people involved in the attacks
and claim they know what a suspect looks like. Are they justified
in this opinion?
IW: Racial profiling is never justifiable. When you do it,
you’re judging a person’s morals, intentions and their
potential actions by their appearance. This rationale is now being
used to systematically harass people ““ not simply asking for
them to be screened. They assume guilt instead of exercising
caution. That kind of treatment is inhumane.
DB: Do you know anyone who has been racially profiled since
the attacks?
IW: I have friends who have been singled out because of their
race, not even their religion. They get insults and more commonly,
dirty looks. But they’re Americans too, and they are being
unfairly targeted.
DB: Do you notice different treatment toward Muslims on
campus?
IW: On this campus, and at others I know of, there have been
instances of attacks on Muslims. Insults and funny looks. Some
sisters have had their head covers pulled off – and that’s
just plain assault.
But the more positive aspect, which I’d like to focus on,
is the personal relationships with people and groups on campus.
Over here we have many friendships on an organizational level
““ whether it’s working with USAC, ASU or MEChA. All
these groups have been supportive of us and have shown genuine
concern for our safety.
DB: Continuing about the campus, how do you think the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is reflected here?
IW: I don’t think there is a conflict on campus.
It’s more discussion and debate as a result of what’s
going on overseas. Primarily, the Muslim community on campus as
well as the community that supports Israel, are not actively
engaged in any type of warfare. Instead, we both exchange words and
try to disseminate information.
But Muslims are once again bearing the brunt of all the attacks
in this situation as well. Look at the way President Bush has
allowed the situation between the two nations to degenerate, in
which Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who was indirectly held
responsible by his own government for the massacre of Palestinians
20 years ago, to take away Palestinian Authority’s power in a
so-called negotiating process, as if the two sides can negotiate on
equal ground when the Israelis have all sorts or resources and the
Palestinians have nothing.
In the post-Sept. 11 world, it’s a lot easier to disregard
Muslims as terrorists and to say the Palestinian cause is a
terrorist cause. People try to justify it, but it’s the same
old, judging a book by its cover.
DB: Is the American or Western image of Islamic women
stigmatized or looked upon unfairly?
IW: Definitely. If you look at the way Islam is represented in
the mainstream media, it has predominantly covered the women in
Afghanistan, and how mistreated they are.
The executions we’ve seen on TV and the beatings are not
what Islam is. You and I might know that, but the average American
doesn’t read that deeply into things.
If you actually talk to a Muslim sister you’ll find that
their head covering, dress or behavior are all things that Muslim
women choose. They want to look and behave that way. Whatever is
imposed on Afghan women is a cultural thing and has been long
ingrained in their history. In fact, the Middle Eastern culture is
mixed with religion, and when the media presents it to the American
public, they connect that behavior to Islam.
But look at the Muslim community here on campus. Sisters who are
covered here are very pious, and have made the choice to do so.
This is what Islam is about.
DB: Are the ideologies of West and East
incompatible?
IW: No, they’re not , but they’re definitely
different. Some people try to frame the East and West like they
will ultimately clash in some kind of World War III, but if you
look at what America has done, it has accommodated for Muslims and
people of different faiths and backgrounds.
There isn’t necessarily an inherent conflict between the
two. They are compatible. Living is about learning, especially
about different cultures and different ways of life. To say that
the two are incompatible or necessarily conflicting is to beg for
the conflict to happen.
Interview conducted by Maegan Carberry, Daily Bruin Senior
Staff