Today Muslim students begin a week of events designed to educate
the UCLA community about Islam and the Muslim experience.
An important tradition for many years, it is hoped that Islamic
Awareness Week will appeal to all people on campus and help clear
up misconceptions about Muslims and Islam.
For such a large and diverse campus ““Â in such a large
and diverse city ““ UCLA offers students a relatively small
number of opportunities to learn about Islam formally. This
quarter, for example, only one class, Introduction to Islam 110, is
offered under the “Islamics” listing in the course
catalog ““Â thus more informal ways of exploring Islam are
even more helpful.
Islam is a rapidly growing religion with over 1.6 billion
adherents worldwide and about six or seven million followers in the
United States. Islam is at the center of a complex debate about
religion’s relationship to terrorism, imperialism, and
nationalism. Especially since Sept. 11, 2001, Islam has come under
intense scrutiny.
In this environment, many scholars and Muslims struggle to
ensure people continue to respect the Muslim society and understand
its complexities from a tolerant and educated perspective.
Unfortunately, most UCLA students have probably learned most of
what the know about Islam from CNN or Fox News.
And while the fairness of these sources can be debated, there is
certainly more that can be learned about Islam than can be covered
in a five minute special report.
Here at UCLA, Muslim students have said the media has at times
distorted Islam, causing people to wrongly blame it for terrorism
and the poor treatment of women. And how often is it that we see
Islam presented on the news when it is not connected to a suicide
bomber, or an oppressive government?
Would anti-Muslim sentiments be so prevalent if people had a
better understanding of the religion?
Many Muslims see France’s attempt to ban headscarves in
schools as a perfect example of how Islam is misunderstood. To many
Muslims, headscarves are a necessary religious symbol. The French
government has said they are distracting and threatening to the
existing order.
Such dichotomous viewpoints show why it is necessary to try to
better understand the religion.
Islamic Awareness Week offers students a chance to not only
learn about Islam, but also to meet and talk to other members of
UCLA’s community ““Â and university communities
should be at the forefront of cooperation and understanding.
Through this dialogue, students will have a chance to explore
political and religious questions, and even make friends and open
their minds.
Certainly, being open-minded does not mean UCLA students will
agree about the causes of terrorism, religious conflict or war. But
what harm does it do to attend an event and ask a few questions
““ to try a little bit harder to understand a religion that is
so misunderstood, but so important in the United States today?