Speakers dissect U.S.-Islamic relations

Speakers dissect U.S.-Islamic relations

by ALICIA GALLEGOS
South Bend Tribune (IN)
10/07/2004

GOSHEN -- Omar Haydar said every time there's a shooting or act of violence in the United States, he cringes and crosses his fingers, hoping the culprit was not Muslim.

If it is, he said, it's just one more reason people fear Haydar and judge him unfairly for another's actions.

"That's the feeling we have," he said. "As Muslim-Americans, we sit there and quiver."

Haydar, a volunteer for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, spoke about this fear Tuesday night, at a discussion titled "Hope Not Hate" at Goshen College's Newcomer Center. More than 80 people attended the meeting that focused on American-Islamic relations.

Two other speakers shared their viewpoints with students and community members including Mabel Brunk, a Christian Peacemaker Teams member who worked in Iraq, and David Cortright, Kroc Institute fellow and Gandhi Peace Award recipient.

In order to talk about U.S.-Islamic relations, Cortright told the crowd, "I think we have to conclude that those relations are in a disastrous state."

According to a poll released Monday by the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington, D.C., 1 in 4 Americans believes negative Muslim stereotypes. Views such as "Muslims teach their children to hate" and "Muslims value life less than other people" were some of the poll's findings.

The resentment and hostility in the Islamic world toward Westerners is also increasing, Cortright said.

Cortright believes the U.S. military presence in the Middle East contributes to negative perceptions of Americans.

"We've got policies that are creating enemies when we should be creating friends," he said.

Speakers talked about possible ways to improve Islamic-American relations, including raising religious awareness in the United States and reducing U.S. military occupancy in the Middle East.

Charles Bontrager, a freshman at Goshen College who attended the discussion, said listening to the speakers opened his eyes.

"I think the panelists brought up good points," he said. "It's very good for us to hear these ideas and expand our minds."

The Hope Not Hate discussion in Goshen was part of a larger effort by Americans for Informed Democracy, a national nonpartisan organization whose mission is to foster global understanding.

The group is facilitating Hope Not Hate town meetings at more than 30 universities across the United States. The meetings started Sept. 8 and will end Tuesday.

Hilary Mayhew, a Goshen College sophomore, is the reason Goshen College became one of the Hope sites.

The 20-year-old attended an Americans for Informed Democracy retreat last summer that inspired her to host the discussion at her school.

"We hope to give students and community members a chance to discuss the always difficult topic of Islamic relations," she said.

Seth Green, executive director of Americans for Informed Democracy, said the town meetings are meant to counteract Muslim stereotypes and open dialogue between those from different backgrounds.

"I think the hope is to highlight that the common ground that unites us is greater than the division points," he said.

Staff writer Alicia Gallegos:

agallegos@sbtinfo.com

(574) 235-6555