I hope it does not come as news to you that Muslims (the followers) have become increasingly stereotyped, marginalized and criminalized since the horrific events of Sept. 11. This increasingly negative attitude towards Muslims quite seamlessly translates into violent actions against Muslim —as well as Sikh, Arab and South Asian —individuals and communities. According to the FBI, hate crimes against Muslim Americans increased 1,700 percent following the attacks on the Twin Towers.
But how does this statistic pertain to our own campus climate? Sadly, yet predictably, UCSD is not outside the systematic spread of misinformation and ignorance on the subject of Islam and Muslims. I have heard of and seen more than my fair share of anti-Islamic or anti- Muslim Student Association literature distributed around campus, graffiti marking the AP&M stairwell and Center Hall, hate emails sent to MSA board and the overall intimidation of and disrespect toward Muslim women and men on this campus.
The continuity of anti-Islamic actions at UCSD points to a larger systematic pitfall: the lack of (correct) knowledge pertaining to Islam being taught at this university. Yes, we have professors teaching on Islam, but the burden of knowledge all too often falls upon Muslim students who are left correcting professors and fact checking for them. And yes, we have classes on Islam, but are these enough? Are the students and professors at UCSD truly educated on the fastest-growing religion in the world? Despite the growing interest in Islam and Muslim-majority countries, we have yet to even establish an Islamic Studies Minor at UCSD — a feat that the members of MSA are currently working toward.
I have brought all this forward not to evoke sympathy but to shine a light on the importance and power of knowledge. In order to build a stronger community, it is crucial to first build stronger minds. And as students attending an institution of higher learning, what are we doing if not bettering ourselves through our knowledge and understanding of varying fields of study? This week, MSA is hosting “Islam Awareness Week 2013: #MuslimLove” to educate the faculty, staff and students of this campus about Islam and Muslims and, in so doing, reclaim our own Muslim American narrative. I sincerely urge you to take the initiative, come by Library Walk and ask at least one question or engage in at least one event during this week. We cannot educate our communities without first educating ourselves. And I promise: We won’t bite.
— Tabah Syed
Junior, Thurgood Marshall College