JHUMA hosts Islam Awareness Week

The JHU Muslim Association (JHUMA) is currently hosting its annual Islam Awareness Week for students to broaden their understanding of Islam and to promote knowledge of the student interfaith group. The events scheduled for Monday through Saturday of this week included a series of lectures, a documentary showing and a closing banquet.

"We want students to distinguish between the media's perception of Islam and the true values and beliefs of Islam," sophomore Religious Director Shamin Ahmed said. "Although radical fragments exist, Islam, like many other religions, is a moderate way of life."

Consequently, the JHUMA invited four renowned speakers for Islam Awareness Week related to recent events, including the terrorist attack on Sept. 11.

"We looked at the national Muslim Students Association [MSA] Web site and references when deciding on our speakers," Ahmed said. "We chose speakers who had moderate viewpoints, a broad knowledge, a good reputation and availability."

Dr. Fasid Younous, a women's rights advocate who was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan, started the evening Monday by discussing gender equality in Islam. In his lecture, he advanced his progressive view - one that seeks to bestow equal social and political status upon Muslim men and women. Younous, who fled to the United States in 1979 for political asylum, attributed the repression of women that is apparent in some Muslim societies to the misinterpretation of the Quran.

"If people believe that women are not allowed to work in Islam, then they have misunderstood the meaning of Islam," said Younous. He commented that discrimination along gender lines runs contrary to Islam, suggesting that Allah is the ultimate just being and that he would therefore not condone discrimination.

In addition, Sister Zakiyyeh Amin, who teaches at the Islamic Community School in Baltimore, elaborated further on gender equality in Islam. Addressing issues such as polygamy and the requirement in Islamic societies that women cover themselves, Sister Amin sought to explain how these principles were consistent with the ideal of gender equality.

On Tuesday, Imam Ibrahim Negm gave a lecture entitled "The Islamic State: Politics of the Faith." The central point of Negm's talk was the idea that "Islam is both a religion and a state." According to Negm, this idea serves as the foundation for the various Muslim states that are currently in existence today. The idea of Islam as both a religion and a state echoed Dr. Younous' insistence the night before that "Islam is considered to be a way of life, not just a belief system."

Negm also discussed briefly the various Islamic regimes that are currently in power: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Taliban. Negm brought up two notable features of the Taliban. First, the besieged rulers of Afghanistan lack a structured state - there is only very rudimentary organization of power within the Taliban. Second, the Taliban's rigid interpretation of Islam was largely a product of the Taliban leaders' specific experiences in their religious schooling.

Continuing the lecture series in the Bloomberg Auditorium on Wednesday, Dr. Sulayman S. Nyang of Howard University in Washington, D.C. addressed his concerns about the effects of terrorism on Muslims, people of color and American citizens in his lecture entitled "Islam in America Before and After Sept. 11." After reviewing Islam's global influence and key people, he emphasized the role of discrimination and stereotypes in society after the attack.

"Islam is seen and practiced all around the world - and includes the most diversity among people," Sulayman said. "It's the microcosm of global America."

He pointed out that Muslims were not looked at as the diverse group after the attack. Instead, they were all "put in the same basket." In addition, he explained that different sects of Islam were not considered during judgment.

"Sept. 11 created unintended consequences," Sulayman explained. "Since tensions are high, immigrants and aliens will be scrutinized and questioned for their loyalty."

He added that "the backlash against Muslims could have been much worse," Sulayman said.

Islam Awareness Week continues Thursday with a lecture by Iman Bashar Arafat entitled "Islamic Terrorism or Yellow Journalism?" at the Bloomberg Auditorium at 7 p.m. followed by a showing of the film Empire of Faith in the AMR TV room at 7 p.m. on Friday. The week will end Saturday with a closing dinner at the Interfaith Center.

"Anyone can come to these events and learn more about Islam," sophomore President Usman Zaheer said.