A room full of Pace students sat in silence while watching a video of an individual unravel his beliefs and put away with stereotypes. These students gained insight on the world of Islam and learned more of the faith that is highly misrepresented in media.
The Muslim Student Alliance is a newly established student organization here at Pace. The goal of the organization is to educate both Muslim and non-Muslim students on the principles of Islam and to abolish stereotypes which have come about of late.
“The goal is to make Muslims feel more comfortable and able to practice their faith,” said freshman biology major and President of the Muslim Student Alliance (MSA) Mariam Parwez. “We want to destroy misconceptions that people may have.”
“The club is for non-Muslims too,” Parwez said. “There are many people who get the wrong information about the Islam faith.”
The organization is open to students of all backgrounds.
“It’s about the students who are here, so students can meet,” said sophomore biochemistry major and MSA Public Relations Officer Sania Azhar. “By interacting with others, you get to know others better and get rid of stereotypes.”
The club aims to educate peers about the faith of Islam in hopes that this will help in the eventual elimination of stereotypes altogether.
“Besides the events that MSA plans to hold, we discuss topics such as discrimination, current events, and the message and principles behind Islam,” said Parwez. “Many people don’t research the topic and only get the biased opinion.”
MSA plans to further educate both Islamic Muslims and non-Islamic Muslims through examining charities, media, and even the Qur’an (the religious text of Islam) .
As a Pakistani, Parwez recognizes that those of Islamic descent are not the only ones being stereotyped.
“Many people assume women have no say, or that it is somehow linked to terrorism,” Parwez said. “On the contrary, Islam is a very tolerant faith and one of the main messages of Islam is unity.”
Unity plays a vital role in the Muslim Student Alliance.
“Color, race, gender, or religion shouldn’t stop anyone,” Parwez said. “Everyone has the right to be united, no matter what religion.”
The organization hopes to educate and implement co-existence at the Pace campus by holding true to their core beliefs on unity.
“A student’s job is to analyze the world around them,”Azhar said. “Pace students have the responsibility to remove the barriers and should support cultural and religious organizations.”
Through inter-cultural and religious events, MSA aspires to create an environment in which no one feels degraded or insecure.
“We hope to focus on an educational experience that creates role models by examining the underlying principles,” Azhar said. “Good and bad are universal and Islam highlights the laws of humanity.”
Azhar hopes the organizations also rid the stereotype that all Muslims are violent. They hope that through their education they will better be able to relay this message, as well as the true Islamic values. One of Azhar’s personal values is to not judge a book by its cover.
“To judge a book, one must think critically and look into the book and go through it,” Azhar said. “Presumed assumptions will never help understand the reality.”
MSA holds opportunities for non-Muslim students, as well.
“I am not Muslim, but I grew up in a family that was both Christian and Muslim,” said freshman biology major and MSA Alternate Senator, Shawtima Moore. “There are so many stereotypes around the Islamic community and I hope people become more aware so that that the stereotypes will become expelled.”
Moore aspires to attain more of a sense of unity and diversity to Pace by encouraging awareness as opposed to ignorance by focusing on the culture, people and religion.
MSA meets from 12 noon to 1:25 p.m. during common hour. Flyers are posted around campus with more information.
“Unity is the main goal,” Parwez said. “Before religion, you’re a human first.”