by Alana Laanui |
Every day there is a new story in the media about potential terrorist attacks or the threat of terror groups like ISIS. There is a common misconception that extremist groups and the threats they make represent the teachings of Islam.
Monday night’s Islamophobia panel looked at the common misconceptions that are held by many Americans in regard to the Islamic faith and the effect they have on students here at UP.
Mohammed Bakhsh, Mishary Aldarweesh and Ibrahim Alshweair, international students from Saudi Arabia, sat on the panel. They shared their personal experiences with Islam, noting that it is a faith that doesn’t support the views of the radical terrorist groups that are always displayed in the media.
The panel showed recent videos of how prominent politicians, including President Barack Obama, talk about Islam as a peaceful religion with moral intentions. In one clip, Obama talked to a mosque and openly supported the Islamic faith, recognizing the inaccurate biases that are currently held by many individuals in the U.S. today. These stereotypes about individuals of the Islamic faith are often rooted in misunderstanding and promote the biases that exist about Islam.
Both Bakhsh and Alshweair recalled times where they themselves faced this discrimination, even here on The Bluff. They said they recognize that many of these comments come from a misunderstanding that many individuals have about Saudi Arabia, and hope that individuals will be more open to learning about the culture of Islam.
Alana Laanui is a reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at laanui18@up.edu or on Twitter @AlanaLaanui.
