page 4|February 26, 2016
News|THELIONSROAR.com|THE LION’S ROAR
Muslim students and staff attest to acceptance in NPS ISLAM, from 1
“[ISIS] definitely has taken a toll on how people perceive Muslims, especially since there The media tends to portray Islam as a dan- aren’t a lot of Muslims portrayed positively in the gerous religion, prone to violence and diametri- media,” Aliabadi said. “What people see on TV with cally opposed to the West. According to history ISIS is most people’s only encounter with Muslims.” teacher Robert Parlin, however, “Islam is one of the Aliabadi is confident, however, that Newton least understood of all the major world religions.” residents can differentiate between a few radicals As part of the world religions curriculum and the peaceful Muslims who make up the majority. in freshman world history, students learn about “[ISIS] has definitely changed people’s perthe history and teachings of Islam in an objective, ceptions of Muslims in general, but it’s different in fact-based course. Newton because Newton is a more educated city, and “It is critical that, especially now, with the so it’s taken less of a toll on Muslims here,” she said. rising Muslim population and rising tension in Razzaqu agreed that Newton has generally many Muslim areas, that we learn an accurate avoided the tendency to discriminate. picture of what the religion is like,” Parlin said. “Statistically, discrimination [may have felt] Junior Nabeel Najam, a Muslim, said he worse post-San Bernardino and with the ISIS stuff,” thinks many of his classmates have benefited from Razzaqu said. “But I, personally, have been really discussions regarding Islam. These discussions, fortunate because Newton North has a very supporthe said, have clarified misconceptions about the ive environment, and I haven’t felt discriminated religion, which has 1.6 billion adherents globally. [against] there.” “My [freshman] history teacher, Ms. Eng, Although Newton may be more accepting told us that she was and informed than many going to teach us true “Jokes ... cross the line sometimes. other places in the country, Islam — the peacesometimes students do ful regular Islam that [For example], joking about me bomb- face stigma. almost all Muslims Sophomore Nika ing the school — we do laugh about practice,” Najam said. Faraji noted that “people it at first, but when I think about it “I think some kids have made jokes that are later, it’s as if they’re criticizing me supposed to be ‘just jokes’ understood, ‘Oh this just because of my religion.” is actually what the but they cross the line religion is.’” sometimes. [For example], - Nika Faraji, Class of 2018 History teacher joking about me bombing the Corey Davison said it is school —we do laugh about the responsibility of teachers to teach students it at first, but when I think about it later, it’s as if the core concepts of Islam so that they may better they’re criticizing me just because of my religion.” understand Muslims everywhere. Other students shared similar experiences. “The point of school is not only to expose Sophomore Adam Iskander said sometimes “people your students to the world, but also to understand try to make funny terrorist jokes about [my relihow people work,” Davison said. “If you’re not gion], but it doesn’t really bother me because I’ve going to understand something that is so central heard them all before, and it makes them look to billions of people, then you aren’t doing your like idiots.” job as an educator.” But outside the scope of Newton, hostility Even so, with the rise of ISIS, senior Nighat toward Muslims is not always confined to jokes. Ansari said she feels affected by the negative gen“Listening to Donald Trump actually scares eralizations made about her religion. me a lot. My sister was at the airport last week and “I’ve read the 30 books of the Quran and she was pulled aside and asked questions like, ‘Do they do not preach anything close to what ISIS you hold ill will against this country?’” Ansari said. does,” Ansari said. “With all these Trump supporters coming out, it “It breaks my heart to see that some people is scary to think to what extent people hold Islam just throw labels at my religion, because I can and us responsible for acts of terrorism around speak for most Muslims when I say respect for all the world.” other religions is prime for us,” Ansari said. “We Ultimately, Ansari said, mature adults should would never say anything similar to what we hear be able to distinguish claims and facts about Islam. for Islam from other religions.” “I can’t really defend my religion to every Senior Noosha Aliabadi said that unfortu- single person,” she said. “I expect a grown person to nately, extremist interpretations have dominated have that kind of mindset where they can separate the media in recent years, making these interpre- a religion and random acts of terrorism that claim tations seem the norm. to be in the name of that religion.”
Noosha Aliabadi
Nika Faraji
In a survey of 137 students on Feb. 2, The Roar found ...
Adam Iskander
When asked to rank how accepting of Muslims South is, students gave an average rating of
yes
said freshman history classes at least somewhat accurately portray Islam photos by Kimia Tabatabaei
no
me w
84 percent
so
so
me w
ha t
ha t
yes
Nighat Ansari
7.8 10 out of
16 percent
said events in the media have influenced their opinion of Islam no