Islamic Series Educates

Islamic Series Educates

Red and Black
9/16/2004

Islamic series educates

By MEILING AROUNNARATH Published , September 16, 2004, 06:00:01 AM EDT Wael Doukmak (left), a faith columnist for the Athens Banner- Herald, listens as Scott Jones (right), a senior research associate at the Center for International Trade and Security answers a question during the town hall meeting. (KATIE FOLEY - The Red & Black)

The public needs to be more informed about relations between the United States and Islamic countries, Muslim and Arabic student leaders said Tuesday night at a town hall meeting hosted by the University.

Naureen Kamdar, a sophomore from Suwanee and president of the Muslim Student Association, said she feels many non-Muslims expect her to answer for all Muslims.

"Sometimes, people apply one Muslim person's opinion to the whole race, which is a big reason for the misunderstanding," she said.

Similar sentiments were discussed among the 30 or so students who attended the meeting.

"Hope not Hate: A Town Hall Series on U.S.-Islamic Relations" was sponsored by Americans for Informed Democracy (AID) with the help of two other non-partisan organizations The People Speak and Families of September 11th.

The meeting was part of a "tripleheader" -- three forums held in Macon, Atlanta and Athens on three consecutive dates.

The series started Sept. 8 and will conclude Oct. 12, with six videoconferences held between six American college students and young leaders from six different Islamic countries.

The focus is to inform the American public of Arab and Muslim views of the United States and to try to understand their perspectives at the same time.

Sherry Lowrance, an assistant professor of international affairs who spoke at the meeting, said she hoped the session would be a catalyst for more dialogue.

Lowrance spoke about America's image from the perspective of Arab nations, which she said was shaped in the context of U.S. control in Iraq and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Wael Doukmak, chairman of the Al-Huda Islamic Center of Athens, offered his viewpoint as an American Muslim.

"I sit here with a lot of humanity," he said. "I'm a lay person ... I play the role of the messenger for the Arab and Muslim worlds."

A third member of the panel, Scott Jones, a senior research associate in the University's Center for International Trade and Security, said he wanted to offer descriptive solutions and "pursue a more grassroots policy level."

"We need to develop a critical mass at the self-government level," he said.

Sajid Qureshi, a junior from Alpharetta and former president of the Pakistan Student Association, said the Muslim community was too complacent after Sept. 11.

"I would like there to be more solidarity in the community," he said. "There is a large amount of Muslims (on campus) who don't show support for (open forums)."

Kamelia Dari, a senior from Roswell and president of the Arabic Student Association, said she got a good impression from the discussion.

"It shed light not only on the problems but also on positive ways of resolving them," she said. "We need more of these kinds of forums."

Dari said the town halls are "what the average person needs to understand the problems and to make up their own minds about them -- roundtable discussions that are not biased."

"The average American distances himself from the whole conflict with the Middle East, and it's something the whole U.S. plays a big part in," she said.