Muslims share experiences with racism

"After 9/11, I knew I would be a target, but it never crossed my mind to take off my headscarf," said Yasmin Hosein, a School of Education freshman, at a discussion part of Boston University's Islamic Awareness Week last night. "Someone yelled at me to go back to Palestine, even though I'm not Palestinian. I'm just as American as they are."

About 50 students and faculty voiced their disappointment and experiences with racism in the United States -- saying the media's portrayal of Islam and the West's misunderstanding of the religion contribute to a racist mindset -- following a documentary hosted by the Islamic Society of Boston University at BU Central.

The Society screened Muslims in America: The Misunderstood Millions, originally featured on ABC shortly after the April 19, 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, in which Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols blew up a nine-story federal office building, killing more than 165 people. After the event, many Americans mistakenly blamed Muslims for the attack, the documentary states.

"The media paints a very grim picture of Muslims," said attendee Farva Bilgrami, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, before the event, "and people tend to believe everything they see."

In the film, John Esposito -- the director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University -- said the negative perception of Muslims is based on the Western world's Judeo-Christian ideology that is unaware of Islam.

International relations professor Charles Dunbar said Muslims today are misunderstood because of their response to attacks following and preceding the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

"This situation has led understandably, if not justly or fairly, to hostility on part of Americans of non-Muslim heritage toward Muslims who have nothing to do with the attackers of Sept. 11," he said before the screening. "[These Muslims] condemn what those attackers did and stood for, and [they] want only to go living their lives as American citizens."

Islamic Awareness Week, which will conclude on Friday with a spoken-word hip-hop performance, will also include lectures and a panel discussion.

ISBU secretary Ayesha Rabbani said she hopes Muslims at BU "will have an effect on how people view Islam" by encouraging students to attend the scheduled events.

"I don't think anyone who comes [to the events] leaves with a more negative view of Islam," the CAS sophomore said before the screening. "Ideally, people will realize that Muslims are just like everyone else."