Muslim spiritual leader talks on misconceptions of Islam

There was an atmosphere of healing and understanding Tuesday night at Kings' Court/English House as 35 students attended a lecture in which Mubasher Ahmad, Islamic spiritual leader of the Southeastern United States, spoke about the rapid growth of Islam in this country and misconceptions of the religion. Ahmad began his speech by referring to recent articles in The Reader's Digest and The Washington Post that suggested the religion of Islam is synonymous with war, violence and terrorism. He pointed out that terrorism and violence are universal and that criminals exist in every religion. "We must be careful not to connect these things solely to the religion of Islam," he said. "Like other religions, we teach love and peace." Ahmad continued to address misunderstandings concerning Islam after his speech by answering questions from the audience. Many students seemed interested in the differences between Islam and Christianity, the divisions within the Islamic religion and the role of women in Islam. Ahmad asserted that Christianity and Islam differ only in minor ways. He explained that women are considered to be of equal status as far as spiritual standing and importance, which seemed to pleasantly surprise his audience. "I learned so much. This was very informative," Engineering and College junior Jinsu Kim said. "I felt it cleared up many misconceptions I had concerning Islam." Beth Mersten, a 1994 University graduate, echoed his sentiment, adding that she was interested in Islam before the lecture and found Ahmad very informative and knowledgeable. "I especially enjoyed his use of my favorite Islamic quote which states that paradise is found under the feet of one's mother," she said. Ahmad's son, College junior Mazher Ahmad, who both organized the forum and introduced his father to the audience, said that he was pleased with the turnout for the event. "I hoped to stimulate discussion about misconceptions concerning race and religion," Mazher Ahmad said. "I feel that problems such as racism can be better solved in this community through deeper understanding and spirituality."