The most important aspect of my identity is that I am Muslim. This in turn makes me strongly associate with the American Muslim community at large, but to narrow things down, I will focus on my understanding of the Southern California Muslim American community. Islam is a religion that is borderless, people of all backgrounds can be Muslim, so I find that it is difficult to focus on any specific access problem that Southern California Muslims might face. The main problem that Muslims in Southern California face is the issue of Islamophobia.
In the past ten years, the largest issues Muslims have been facing are those of Islamophobia. After the alleged Muslim attacks of September 11th, Muslims have been the targets of extreme hate crimes and discrimination. This discrimination is not only at the hand of the general public, but is also directed by government officials. After September 11th, many prominent leaders of the Muslim American community were harassed and even arrested. My own family was visited by the FBI on more than one occasion for involvement in the community at large.
Muslims also face issues when it comes to social justice. A more recent case is that of the Irvine 11 [soon to be Irvine 10], a group of 11 students from both the University of California campuses in Irvine and Riverside. These students were arrested after PEACEFULLY protesting the Michael Oren, the Israeli Ambassador, the representative of a country that has broken UN/humanitarian laws countless times, a country that is GUILTY of countless war crimes, a country that propagates the MURDER of innocents for NO REASON. When an Arab-Muslim speaker was protested against in an even more vicious manner [ he was physically prevented from speaking by protesting students] at the SAME campus, the students did not face ANY disciplinary action.
For the past year these students have been in and out of the courts so that they do not get charged with counts of conspiracy and preventing free speech [Michael Oren continued his speech…] . This is just an example of the issues Muslims in America face all the time. Only in May, two Imams [Muslim religious leaders] were pulled off an airplane for the way they were dressed [they passed through the TSA]. In this day and age, Muslims are harassed in the media and barely anyone even bats an eyelash. That's the major problem that Muslims in my community are facing. Islamophobic spurred discrimination, which obviously limits access to social justice.
The CPO has created a safe haven were Muslim students can be themselves, where they are the given the opportunity to promote their creative ideas and contribute to society without having to first fight to prove anything. Our energy can be used to do more than to simply defend our image and struggle to explain that one extremist does not represent 2 billion people. The CPO is awesome, because it takes into consideration the needs of Muslims, and helps us in our struggles against haters [there are plenty].
To learn more about the Irvine 11, visit Irvine11.com and to learn more about the Imams visit http://al-talib.org/2011/05/12/2-imams-pulled-off-plane-headed-to-north-carolina/ .
Ok, I have to honestly admit that I have never had the honor to have Muslim friends until now. I have learned many things from Noor and Haidar! :) Let me just say that you are amazing people and just like us Hispanics, we are more than just hatred targets. We can contribute amazing things to our society. I also believe that in order to create a better world, we should always stay friendly within different communities, regardless of their religion or political views. It's so unfortunate that are so many haters out there that waste their time judging people. We can do so much more if we stick together as a community!
ReplyDeleteLike you I believe my religion to be the single most important aspect of my identity, Christian-Roman Catholic! I can say I am really fortunate to have two amazing friends one who is Buddhist and the other one is Muslim. I have also perceived discrimination to Muslims and have heard about it from my friend who goes to UCI. Ignorance has the unfortunate quality of being with us today.
ReplyDeleteIs so frustrating to see that people and countries who harm more people, but have the powerful allies manage to get away with anything and everything they do (ex. US backed right wing dictatorships during the Cold War mainly in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East).
I agree CPO is a safe space for many under representative communities which makes it the best assest of UCLA that students should get involved with.
Religion is extremely important to a person's identity because it is a trademark of a person's beliefs. One thing that always bothers me is people's ignorance to religion. They hear one thing on the TV and all of a sudden, it is true. I believe the media is strongly to blame for the public's perception of religion and cultures. However , i also do accept that the ignorant people have a side of the story as well. They have a point. However, times are changing. We are moving forward in a society that is incorporating change every single day. As we move into the next generation, we must change the public's perception and educate...dual sided of course. we must ALWAYS take into account the other side and educate people. I feel like the next generation is be very different from this one...but that is up to us.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kent that the media plays a huge influence on how people's perceptions on religion and a community in general is perceived. It's unfortunate how the media exploits these groups in order to get the latest scoop or most viewers. I admit that I lack the knowledge of the issues that pertaining to the Muslim community but even if get disgusted how Muslims are treated sometimes because of just a few people.
ReplyDeleteWow, noor, well said. Personally within my muslim community in the Coachella Valley, islamaphobia has indirectly/directly affected how many of the teens view themselves. The mass media campaigns across the nation have indoctrinated into the minds of Muslim teens that they are the enemy, "the other". That they are uneducated, backwards people. Muslims are constantly battered with people telling us that we are hateful, aggressive people, that have a religion worth associating with horrendous acts such as terrorism. The discouragement that comes with such an image is immense. It allows for teens to believe that this "American" life isnt for them. That this country isnt theirs, and that the resources here are not for them to use. Sadly, although all of these things are not true, many people don't find it worth their time to defend their place here in this nation. Although not all have given up, many, especially those who's parents did not receive a complete education don't wish to pursue any further achievements. Education no longer is an option for some of these teens who dont find a place in the "american" education system. this my friends is a very sad result of the hate through media.
ReplyDeleteAlthough i don't have any religion and so do my family and lots of my friends, i respect people who do have a religion, because religion is one's own bussiness as well as it stands for one's culture and belief. Back in China, we learned in class that though most people in mainland do not have religion, but it is our responsbility to respect and protect people who have one and most of whom are from minors. Morever, i believe religions are part of diffirent cultures. If one religion has survived for many years, there must be something good about this religion so that many people choose to believe it. So, even we don't belive that religion, we can always be enlightened by its ideas. Lastly, even a few people from one religion commit crimes, others cannot say that religion or people from that religion are corrupted. We cannot take a part for the whole.
ReplyDeleteIt'd be great if everyone could accept everyone else for who they are and we could all hold hands and sing along! However, people seem determined to make an us vs. them dichotomy somewhere, and as a result, they'll attack others based on religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. America is still largely a Christian nation -- I've had friends who have been practically disowned from their families for being atheist. With the younger generation, I think we're making strides towards being more tolerant, but we need to educate more people about different ways of life.
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