The Muslim Students Association (MSA) and the University’s Center for Islamic Life hosted an event featuring Oxford University Professor Tariq Ramadan, who spoke to students about Islam in the United States.
The event, “Religion, Radicalization and the Quest for Pluralism,” was a stop on Ramadan’s university tour across the country and took place in the Cook Campus Center Multipurpose Room.
Ramadan touched on issues facing Muslims in both United States and Europe and encouraged students to be involved in society.
“As students in the United States, you need speak out for justice, dignity and equal rights,” he said.
Ramadan also cautioned Muslims to be careful of how they represent their faith to others.
“Muslims today yell and that only shows that they have lack of confidence,” he said. “People who know speak quietly and effectively about injustices in society.”
Sirfaraz Piracha, the event’s organizer, said the issues raised at the event are very important to discuss, because there is a growing amount of ignorance about Islam.
“It’s not that Muslims are being discriminated against, there is just growing ignorance about the true nature of Islam,” said Piracha, a School of Arts and Sciences senior.
Khaled Mowad, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, said there is a lot of public discourse about faith today.
“There are a lot of issues like the economy, radicalism and revolutions, that are pulling people apart today,” Mowad said. “But this is not a Muslim issue or a Christian issue — it’s a human issue, and people should understand that.”
Sidra Enver, vice president of MSA, said the event would promote pluralism not just in the Muslim community but also throughout the University.
“We have a lot of co-sponsors that are not Muslim organizations,” said Enver, a School of Arts and Sciences junior. “Usually when we host an event, the sponsors and speakers are mostly Muslim.”
Piracha hopes students take away Ramadan’s global message of accepting people for who they are.
“Tariq Ramadan is an influential speaker,” he said. “He’s Swiss-raised, so he knows a lot about growing up Muslim in a non-Muslim country.”
Haroon Mian, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, said as a Muslim on campus, listening to someone like Ramadan would address issues Muslim students face.
“Ramadan is a good voice to facilitate the discussion about Islam in the United States,” said Mian. “He is someone that Muslim students here can connect to because he himself grew up Europe.”
Yasmeen Fahmy, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, said Ramadan’s speech hit home with her.
"[His message,] ‘Be comfortable with yourself in order to interact with the global community,’ really spoke to me,” she said.
Fahmy said Ramadan’s talk effectively promoted pluralism.
“Everyone could benefit from what he was saying,” she said.
Piracha said because Ramadan was so well known, his talk at the University would address two different levels.
“He addresses the University community and because he is so well known, he speaks about issues worldwide as well,” he said. “He promotes plurality on both levels.”
Mian said the talk was a good beginning of dialogue about the diversity within Islam in the United States.
“Even though this is just one event, its a good way to start,” he said.
