Students and faculty are gearing up this weekend in preparation
for Islamic Awareness Week, scheduled to begin Monday.
Events will be put on by the Muslim Student Association to
promote understanding and to disperse common misconceptions of the
Islamic religion.
MSA members plan to man booths and set up posters along Bruin
Walk every day next week, and hold informational forums each
evening to educate students.
“We are trying to tell people in our own words what Islam
really is,” said Mariam Jukaku, MSA president and third-year
computer science student.
“We hope to dispel different myths about our religion,
which concern topics such as terrorism and oppression of
women.”
Students at MSA booths will discuss key Islamic beliefs and
share personal stories with UCLA peers. Nightly educational
programs are also scheduled to discuss issues such as Muslim
contributions to western civilization (Thursday) and the true
significance of the head scarf worn by Muslim females
(Tuesday).
Islam, an Arabic word meaning submission to the will of god,
promotes ideals of harmony with everything and submission to the
creator Allah, Jukaku said.
But, she continued, media and government coverage of past events
such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have skewed public
perception of the religion.
“A lot of the time, Muslims are portrayed as terrorists
who like to kill people,” Jukaku said. “Definitely,
some are crazy and extreme, but for the most part, Muslims in
America are not taught to hate.”
Many students are excited about next week’s proceedings,
and look forward to learning more about Islam.
“I’m glad they are trying to raise awareness because
people have incorrect concepts of Muslims, especially since
9/11,” said third-year biology student James Yi.
Other misconceptions may include issues such as female
oppression and violence.
Some people view the head covering worn by many Islamic women as
a representation of control and male dominance, but it is actually
an important religious symbol, Jukaku said.
A recent proposal in the French Parliament called for a ban of
all religious symbols in schools. If passed, this proposal would
prevent Islamic women from wearing traditional head scarves in
schools run by the French government. MSA members said they hope to
discuss the potential ramifications of this proposal in the Tuesday
evening forum.
Other students anticipate the week’s events, viewing them
as an opportunity to discuss issues affecting the Islamic
community.
“It’s good to raise awareness, and I’m excited
because I don’t have a lot of knowledge about Islam,”
said fourth-year communication studies student Lindy Wagner.
Wagner said she is open to finding out about the significance of
head scarves.
“I look forward to learning more about it, so I can have
an educated opinion,” she said.
Some students say they hope next week’s events will
promote a feeling of unity above anything else.
“Basically, Muslims are just another group of people in
the world. They aren’t that different from me,” said
third-year psychobiology student Namrata Varma.