Post-Sept. 11, Penn supportive of Muslim students

Muslims around the country have faced scrutiny and suspicion in the last year. National news has been full of reports of Muslims being the targets of racial profiling and the victims of hate crimes.

But Muslim students on Penn's campus have had a very different experience.

Unlike Muslims in other parts of the country, who have felt threatened and persecuted, many Muslims at Penn have reported feeling secure and supported. They say Penn students have chosen not to act out of hatred and ignorance, but instead have taken the opportunity to learn more about Islam and the politics of the Middle East.

"On Penn's campus we've found that people are genuinely curious, are accepting, are well-intentioned," said Muslim Students Association Vice President Ben Herzig, a College senior.

MSA Community Liaison Muhammed Mekki agreed. He also noted an openness and a curiosity throughout the campus that, he said, much of the country lacks. These characteristics have contributed to a feeling of acceptance that has made the difference for Muslim students at Penn.

"The whole U.S. isn't as rosy as it has been here on Penn's campus," the Wharton and College sophomore said. "We have a great thing here."

Muslim students attribute the positive attitude of their peers at Penn to several different factors.

Herzig says that the University administration -- including University President Judith Rodin, University Chaplain William Gipson and Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum -- has been influential in creating a supportive environment for Muslim students. The administration has provided the financial and organizational support that has enabled many special events.

However, Muslim students also agreed that the desire to learn more about Islam is strong in the culture of Penn.

"Historically speaking, students have always been the ones who sometimes take the opposite view of the mainstream public," Engineering sophomore and MSA Treasurer Zaid Mohiuddin said. "It's the innate nature of students at an academic institution like this just to learn."

Mekki is enrolled in the Huntsman International Studies and Business Program at Penn. Specifically, he studies the politics of the Middle East.

Mekki says that there has been a noticeable increase in the popularity of courses that focus on the Middle East. This new attention has made his work more exciting and more rewarding.

"It's made this area of study that much more popping and boiling right now," Mekki said.

He said that he appreciates the effort Penn students are making to learn more about Islam and the politics of the Middle Eastern region.

"People are taking it upon themselves to learn more, to educate themselves," Mekki said. "They're in an institution of learning and they're using it to its fullest extent."

But Muslim students say that the curiosity about Islam extends beyond the walls of the classroom. Many said they have been given a invaluable opportunity to educate the Penn community themselves by sharing their perspective and background in less formal settings. They have been placed in a position to act as teachers and they say they are grateful for the chance to reach out to responsive students.

MSA President Ahsen Janjua said that Muslims are always expected to learn about their religion and spread their knowledge throughout the community -- that is part of the Islamic faith. However, he said that Sept. 11 served as an important reminder of this duty.

"This is a wake-up call that you can't ignore," the College senior said. "We need to be more aware and be better at exposing what true Islam is."

Herzig also emphasized the importance of education in the aftermath of the attacks.

"The need is greater than ever for us to be true ambassadors of Islam," Herzig said. "It is now up to us to rise to the occasion."

In order to meet this demand, the MSA has held many events in the last year to reach out to the community.

Muslim student volunteers man a table once a week on Locust Walk to distribute information about Islam and the politics of the Middle East. The organization has sponsored fairs, lectures and dinners to encourage informal discussion of relevant issues.

Each event has proven to be a success. The MSA has noted an increase in the subscription of non-Muslim students to its listserve and the attendance of non-Muslim students at its events.

The leaders of the MSA say they hope that Penn students continue to strive to learn more about the religion and culture of Islam in the coming year.

The group already planned several events for this fall, including a panel of expert speakers on Sept. 13 and Islam Awareness Week at the end of October.

They will continue work in the future to make sure the Penn community continues on the path of acceptance that has been established over the last year. MSA leaders say they hope that Penn students will do the same.

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