February 2016 Archive: Islamophobia by VA Story Archive

VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION

JOURNALISM OF

TEACHERS & ADVISERS

Virginia Journalism Story Archives

Islamophobia TJTODAY THE MAGAZINE

6560 BRADDOCK RD. ALEXANDRIA, VA 22312

WHO WE

ARE

Uniting in faith to dispel stereotypes, combat hate and re-define preconceived notions about Islam

Despite biased media coverage, terrorism is not exclusive to any gender, race, or religion.

DEC. 17, 2015 || VOL 1 ISSUE 4 | www.tjtoday.org

Our religion does NOT promote terrorism.

THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY || ALEXANDRIA, VA

FAMILY TRADITIONS

Faculty share unique holiday traditions

TRUMP AND THE MEDIA

How Donald Trump is catching our attention

Print Stories from:

George C. Marshall High School Hayfield Secondary School Harrisonburg High School TJHSST

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

tjTODAY presents Holiday film favorites

IN-DEPTH // 6 RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM

H2 N

Hayfield Hawks Newsmagazine January 2016 Volume 12 Issue 2

1. BEHIND THEIR MASKS, George Eltzroth and Robert Collie play the cello at International Night. In addition to singing and dancing, the event included opportunities to show off other musical talents. photo by stephanie haner 2. ENDING THEIR DANCE, Sareena Sheth curtsies while Anika Kapoor and Fareena Qureshi pose around her. Many groups of friends chose to perform together to represent their culture.

get

photo by stephanie haner

3. PERFORMING FOR THE FIRST TIME, Risa Tanji sings with a fellow student while accompanied on the piano. Tanji performed three songs in Japanese and Korean. photo by stephanie haner 4. SHUFFLING STEPS, Stefany Melgar and Caroline Willar dance and play the rueca de mano, a handheld instrument. The rueco de mano is a small instrument that dancers hold in their hand during their performances. photo by

Different cultures come together to spread their customs for the school to experience during International Night CHANGING IMPRESSIONS International Night was an annual event that students attended in order to share and educate their peers about their heritage as well as other cultures and traditions. Risa Tanji, a performer who sang at the event, felt that it was a good opportunity to correct prejudices. “Some of the information that people think they have is wrong. It can be rude, and insulting, too,” said Tanji.

theo testa

5. SINGING AND DANCING, Vaishnavi Thirkoveloori spins around. She performed her cultural dance individually in contrast to many groups. photo by theo testa

6. DURING INTERNATIONAL NIGHT, Viana Harati sings “Gold Golden,” an Iranian folk song. Yasaman Salahmand accompanied Harati on the piano. photo by stephanie haner

SHARING TRADITIONS Performances exposed students and their families to cultural music and dances. One purpose was to spread awareness and understanding of cultures, such as Yasaman Salahmand’s Iranian heritage. “It was a good experience to share the culture I have grown up with,” said Salahmand. A TASTE OF THE CULTURE The food provided allowed guests to try the flavors of alternate nationalities. The food came from various parts of Europe, Southern Asia, Latin America, and the United States. “The display was diverse and delectable,” said Diego Haldeman. story by kelly shea and ceara redd

close-knit

true

Thomas Freebairn “The unique spirit of the German Club and its members is incredibly strong. You could describe this spirit with three words: loyal, active, and rational.” Irmanrad Iranbomy

“Hijab in Arabic means protection. It serves to preserve a woman’s external beauty so that their inner beauty is what matters. When a girl/ woman is wearing modest clothing, one is almost forced to look past bodily beauty and focus on things such as intellectual beauty and other qualities that are often looked past in women.”

“My favorite part is being able to connect to my roots and being able to share my culture with others.” Isabella Starke

“A motto that I live by is ‘never give up.’”

“Live your life like the thing you want the most is coming tomorrow, and you’ll never want.”

“You often won’t have a choice in what life throws at you, but there are a thousand other choices you can make.”

Patrick Brinza

Einas Abu-El

Attendees of International Night describe the event in one word

“I love the sense of community, that people all work together to make the club better, and we have a good time doing it.”

Rahwan Moaz explains the purpose and history behind the hijab she wears

to the point.

German club members share what they like about being a part of the club

“No matter how bad things get, never give up. You only fail when you quit.”

HECTIC

COLORFUL

Ellen Rank

Garrett Peterson

EXCITING

DIVERSE

“The whole place is pale beige like broken dreams.”

“The best solution to a problem is usually the easiest one.”

culture 11

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Rahwan Moaz explains the purpose and history behind the hijab she wears “Hijab in Arabic means protection. It serves to preserve a woman’s external beauty so that their inner beauty is what matters. When a girl/ woman is wearing modest clothing, one is almost forced to look past bodily beauty and focus on things such as intellectual beauty and other qualities that are often looked past in women.”

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MUSLIM STUDENT

GIRLS LEARN

MUSLIM STUDENT

FRONT ROW Nina Samarelli, Andrea Garverick, Lauren Kaup, Cassandra Barrett, Sofia Alonso, Brianna Elder, Munira Armani, Samantha Stadsvold. SECOND ROW Sophie Lex, Audrey Van Winkle, Brian Weiss, Erika Sherr, Maya Casey, Cyan Brady, Lauren Pelzner, Emily Neidecker. THIRD ROW Owen Crizer, Tatiana Brown, Damir Hrnjez, Nicholas Sherr, Helen Oker, Maya Chatterjee, Brenda Henriquez. BACK ROW Mary Hagopian, Sean Hoffman, Caroline Hammond, Carly Rettie, Sophia Jacobi, Kristen Fritzeen, Steven Doherty, Surya Mehta, Sarah Cole.

FRONT ROW Chynna Wendell, Leen Abushaikha, Dana Zahid, Rand Hossain, Kinda Ahmed. MIDDLE ROW Kiana Sedaghat, Hafsa Chaudhny, Noor Elbackush, Sania Shahzadi, Tasneem Elbackush, Mohamed Mograbi. BACK ROW Sama Scheik, Ayah Idris, Edil Afi, Eihas Abuel-Hawa, Nisa Hassan, Laila Abusumaya.

FRONT ROW Chynna Wendell, Leen Abushaikha, Dana Zahid, Rand Hossain, Kinda Ahmed. A member of the Muslim Student Association speaks out about her work to break the stereotypes surrounding religion Sedaghat, Hafsa MIDDLE ROWherKiana The Muslim Student Association provided an outlet for Islamic students express their feelings Sania Chaudhny, Noor toElbackush, and have a group of friends that support each other. “MSA welcomes both Muslims and nonmuslims,”said Zahid. “Our intention is to unify the community, educate people, raise awareness, and Shahzadi, Tasneem Elbackush, provide service opportunities to our members.” The saw the club as an opportunity to educate others about misconceptions. “The actions of a small group of people, who in fact don’t even follow Islam’s Mohamed Mograbi. teachings correctly, should not represent the other 1.5 billion Muslims around the world,” Zahid said. Zahid persisted in her mission to advocate for Muslim equality. “People need to start opening their eyes and realize that the beauty ofBACK this country ROW is through mixed religions and races.” Sama Scheik, Ayah Idris, Edil Afi, Eihas Abuel-Hawa, Nisa Hassan, Laila Abusumaya.

breaking

GO MAKE A

story by carolina

mccabe and kristin metzger

PSYCHOLOGY

FRONT ROW Mr. Matthew Horne, Lorena Beltran, Samee Ahmad, Doreen Ndizeye, Keemia Mesforush, Caroline Mubiru, Brittany Hsiao, Luisa Beltran Rey. SECOND ROW Rebecca Jacobi, Rachel Shaw, Sarah Naeher, Anya Karaman, Allison Brown, Anisha Dawadi, Angelica Espinoza-Calvio, Twinkle Gera. THIRD ROW Meagan Swaney, Angela Heltberg, Sam Hassett, Erin Guth, Deniz Kosereisoglu, Maura Forde, Tatiana Brown. BACK ROW Hannah Treichler, Alexa Risseeuw, Emily Hoang, Shima Wani, Mpesa Kapinka, Sabrina Hsiao.

FRONT ROW Vaishnavi Thirkoveloori, Ella Lemma , Madhu Sriram, Gavin Lao, Ashley Onusko, Shaina Smith, Shaazia Ahmed, Tarunipriya Boyalakuntla, Hanna Ebert. MIDDLE ROW Einas Abu-El Hawa, Archana Narkk-ara, Shannon Prescott, Clark Zimmerman, Sakshi Thakar, Daria Zahalsky, Janan Iranbomy, Alex Stenseth, Janelle Tinio, Zaynub Rizvi, Clarisse Ann Calpito, Risa Tanji. BACK ROW Hanan Tarin, Rand Hossain, Alia Wilson, Anisha Vanka, Maya Chatterjee, Lauren Pelzner, Kelly Batsford, Pranav Pappala, David Ignacio, Arthur E, Filipe Mourao, Mark Holtje, Khalil Alibhai, Robert Lanier, Brian Angus.

clubs and organizations 139

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A member of the Muslim Student Association speaks out about her work to break the stereotypes surrounding her religion The Muslim Student Association provided an outlet for Islamic students to express their feelings and have a group of friends that support each other. “MSA welcomes both Muslims and nonmuslims,”said Zahid. “Our intention is to unify the community, educate people, raise awareness, and provide service opportunities to our members.” The saw the club as an opportunity to educate others about misconceptions. “The actions of a small group of people, who in fact don’t even follow Islam’s teachings correctly, should not represent the other 1.5 billion Muslims around the world,” Zahid said. Zahid persisted in her mission to advocate for Muslim equality. “People need to start opening their eyes and realize that the beauty of this country is through mixed religions and races.”story by carolina mccabe and kristin metzger

PSYCHOLOGY

ISLAMOPHOBIA

February 29, 2016

Feature-B5

The Newsstreak

Islamophobia: (Is·lam·o·pho·bi·a) (pronounced: iz,lämə’fōbēə) noun - Dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force

Muslim students experiencing negative reactions from peers

It’s high time we change Islamic stereotypes Yusuf Aboutabl Staff Reporter

East. Since they have not visited themselves, all they have to go off of are those movies. There needs to be a revoIslamophobia is a major issue lution in Western media and in the United States, and if you news. You’ll never hear a stodo not agree, then you are part ry about an Arab philanthroof the problem. pist donating millions Ever since the atto build a school, but tacks of 9/11, Muslims GUEST you will definitely hear in the country have COLUMN stories about a school been victims of prejuthat was destroyed by dice, bigotry, and blaa terrorist group. Even tant hatred. There is a portion though the latter does not hapof conservatives that either pen more often than the former, spread this bigotry or fall victim because of skewed media covto the lies that they hear. They erage the Western world thinks label an entire group of peo- so. Past generations who have ple over 1 billion strong as one grown up may not change their thing: terrorists. minds, but future ones will grow The majority of the Western up with the right image of the world thinks of one thing when Arab world in their head. they hear the word terrorist: an Another thing that is an issue Arab man with a scraggly beard is the generalization “all Muswearing a turban and a bomb lims are terrorists.” That phrase strapped to his chest. has been uttered by ignorant This image comes from the people time and time again. Do portrayal of Arabs in Hollywood they not realize that the argumovies. Take Indiana Jones ment can be used against them? Raiders of the Lost Ark for ex- “All gun owners are mass shootample. The scene where Jones ers.” Based on the actions of a is confronted by a man dressed few, I can extrapolate and draw in all black desert attire wielding conclusions about the massa scimitar in Cairo is one of the es. Only when the argument is most ludacris portrayals of Ar- used against them do they reabs I have ever seen. The man alize that it is severely flawed. I starts flaunting his sword at do not believe this issue can be Jones in an intimidating fashion solved. until Jones pulls out his gun and “People are people are peosimply shoots him. ple,” U.S. history teacher Mark The first time I saw that Tueting said. scene, I asked my dad about Generalizations and stereowhy the movie lied about how types will always exist in comEgyptians look. He said that munities in this country and it made the movie better and throughout the world. Different that if they were portrayed as groups of people will never fully how they really were, the movie know everything about another would be much different. group of people. Even if they That was one of many exam- did, they still wouldn’t underples where the Middle East is stand all of it. Foreign cultures falsely represented in Western and religions are too complex media. Depictions like these are to be generalized. You can nevwhat imprint a negative conno- er describe a group of people in tation of Arabs and ultimately one sentence or even one paraMuslims in the United States. graph, but unfortunately that is A solution to this would be to what some people opt to do. correctly portray Arabs as how These issues are not to be they truly are instead of build- taken likely. There are almost 3 ing onto the stereotypes that million Muslims in the United already exist. States. While most of them do Many people in this country not face this problem daily, it is grew up watching these mov- still big enough to bring up. This ies and that’s all they think of toxic ideology must change. when they think of the Middle

Abby Hissong Managing Editor Since the events of Sept.11, anti-Muslim sentiment has become increasingly prevalent in America. This phenomenon, referred to by many as “Islamophobia,” has lead to a significant fear of those who practice the Muslim religion, and has rooted itself into American society. Junior Ali Al-Shebani has lived in America for most of his life, yet he still deals with prejudice and offensive comments about his race and religion on a daily basis. “As a member of

an immigrant family, I came to America aspiring for an education and peace, yet people in our society have not realized that. People in our school assume I have no respect for women or wish to impose Sharia law in our community. I can’t count how many times I’ve been called a jihadist or a terrorist this week alone. Every day I hear people scream ‘Allahu Akbar’ in the hallways in a demeaning manner making fun of suicide bombers,” Al-Shebani said. O v e r the last year, the issue of Islamophobia has become more and more of a widespread issue with the activities of ISIS, a jihadist militant group, making threats against America and committing acts of terror all over the world. This has only added to the rise in tension against those of Muslim faith in the United States. For junior Mohamed Qadir, the prejudice has always been there, it has just become more obvious in recent years. “There are a lot of people that look at Muslims in a bad way at this school. Especially when the girls wear the hijab. You can just tell from the stares that people get.

Yesterday in gym class a student told me to go bomb the school. In this case it was my friend, but there are other people who call me a terrorist or ask me if I love ISIS, and they mean it,” Qadir said. HHS has a variety of cultures and religions within the school; however, when it comes to representing this diversity, some feel that it is not accurately portrayed. According to Al-Shebani, those who are not white or Christian often end up feeling like they are being left out. A specific instance being the mandatory holiday concert all students attend before winter break every year. “This school claims that there is no favoritism, yet when they put on a “holiday” concert, the majority of songs performed are Christian themed with maybe one or two secular songs. Yet, they have the audacity to call it a ‘holiday’ event without representing true deprecation from church and state. HHS wants each person to feel comfortable; however, it’s not something I see them actually pursuing. The school itself, not just a student body but the administrators as well, can work together to lessen this prejudice towards muslims,” Al-Shebani said. In recent months, anti-immigrant rhetoric has spiked in local and national politics. After the Paris attacks, more than 24 governors have said they don’t want Syrian refugees in their states. Even before Paris and San Bernardino, a 2014 survey by the Council on American Islamic

Does Islamophobia exist at HHS? Islamophobia is defined as the dislike or racism towards Muslims. 100 students were polled on whether or not they felt Islamophobia exists in our school.

Relations found that 52 percent of Muslim students in California reported being the target of verbal abuse and insults. That’s double the number of students who report being bullied based on gender and race nationwide. “I don’t think there’s anything this school can do [about Islamophobia], really. It’s been a problem for a while. I don’t believe that oppression against Muslims receives nearly enough attention when compared to other minorities especially. I wish I could say that it was easy to fix, but we all know that’s not the case. People who have an Islamophobic mindset tend to stay on that side of the pendulum and because of the media, they stay there,” Qadir said. Virginia is among the few dozen states where Syrian refugees have been embraced by the governor. Harrisonburg City Public Schools are a safe haven to hundreds of immigrants from all over the world, but that doesn’t mean students aren’t susceptible to internalizing anti-Muslim stereotypes they hear. “Islamophobia definitely exists in America whether or not people want to admit it. We have become more or less a society that jokes about things that should be taken or seen as offensive,” Al-Shebani said. “It’s this social stigma that’s wrapped around our brain that we just don’t like people who are culturally different than us. I believe we should step outside of our comfort level and be exposed to various religions or cultures.”

Yes: 62 No: 38

Hijabs worn as traditional sign of modesty Yogesh Aradhey Staff Reporter The hijab is a piece of clothing worn by some Muslim women. There are several types of hijabs but colloquially, it is a headscarf that covers a woman’s head, hair and chest. Other types of hijabs might have a net over the woman’s face or cover her whole body except for the eyes. In history, the origins of veiling started with the Asyrians dating as far back as the 13th century BC. In their culture. Veiling was a symbol of class and respect and only “proper” women veiled themselves. In fact, lower class women were forbidden from wearing such clothing. The practice made its way through Greek and Roman cultures but was never widespread until the

expansion of the Ottomans. When the Muslim faith spread across the Middle East, so did the practice of veiling. The Qu’ran, the Muslim Holy Book has two verses on Hijabs. It aims to avoid the harassment of women by them hiding their beauty from showing in public. Although there is debate over whether or not women are actually required to wear a hijab, it stems from the idea that both men and women should dress modestly in front of others. For women, this most commonly translates to a hijab. Many women who choose not to wear a hijab say that despite the original intention, it actually attracts more attention in western society and goes against their philosophy of modesty. Junior Sara Mustafa, is one of this school of thought and has

made the decision to not wear a hijab. “They are just worn just for modesty,” Mustafa said. Believing that there is more than one approach to modesty, she does not see the need to cover her head in public. “Other women in my family do wear them, but I choose not to,” Mustafa said. “I don’t have anything against wearing a hijab or women who wear it. It is a choice they make.” Such a choice, whether to wear a hijab or not, is one that women at least get to make in our society. In countries like France, recent events mixed with a history of trying to secularise all aspects of life, there has been a huge push to make head coverings illegal. On the other hand, in some middle eastern countries, they are mandatory.

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Hayfield Hawks Newsmagazine January 2016 Volume 12 Issue 2

Our religion does NOT promote terrorism.

Despite biased media coverage, terrorism is not exclusive to any gender, race, or religion.

Cover Story

Extremism is not limited to Islam Islam is not synonymous with extremism. The religion does not preach violence or peace, but all acts of terror, regardless of race, ethnicity or political affiliation, must be condemned. Oklahoma City Bombing

Caucasian Males that identified as Christians committed the deadliest terrorist attack on the U.S. soil until 9/11. April 19, 1995

The Oklahoma City Bombing took the lives of 168 Americans at the Alfred P. Murrah building. Members from the ATF, DEA and other federal offices were stationed in the building.

Puerto Rican Armed Resistance (PRAR) From 1975-1981 the PRAR committed 260 counts of terrorism. Between May 16-18, 1981, the group set off 5 bombs in New York City.

Radicalism is not equated to the religion of Islam Farhaj Murshed Guest Writer Terrorism is terrorism. Any act of violence that causes people to be in fear is terrorism. It’s wrong to call an act of violence “terrorism” simply off of what somebody looks like or what their name is. From the Paris attacks to the Planned Parenthood shooting, it seems like the media and the general public are lacking consistency. Based on the definition of terrorism, Americans have committed acts of terror. If the 9/11 attacks were terroristic, then the same could be said about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and America’s decision to drop nuclear bombs on

Japan which took the lives of about 246,000 Japanese. I’m not comparing these tragic events, as they all deserve their own awareness and prayers, but simply requesting consistency. Terrorists aren’t from a specific country. They aren’t just brown; they’re black, tan, and white, too. As a Muslim, years of trying to teach people the differences between extremist groups and the religion of Islam is becoming old. Although these extremists may claim our religion, the religion does not claim them. Terrorism has no religious affiliation. It is explicitly stated in the Qur’an, the holy text of Islam, that the killing of the innocent is deemed haram, or strictly forbidden. There is also no such thing as “radical Islam,” it’s just radicalism. This radical-

ism should not be connected to a specific religion. As a diverse community, we must learn to use the correct terminology in order to respect other demographic groups. There will always be racist bigots in the world, but we can always try to show them why they’re wrong. Discrimination and hate for people will always be strong, but the power of love will always prevail. If you have any questions about Islam and what the religion teaches, please ask anybody that practices the religion, and hopefully they’ll direct you to reliable sources. The best option, and my recommendation, would be to go directly to the source itself, the sacred text of the Qur’an, and read its translation if necessary to consider its beautiful context.

Acts of terror between 1980 and 2005 as stated by the FBI The graph below displays how acts of terrorism are distributed amongst different groups.

Jewish Defence League (JDL) The JDL was responsible for tear bombings, injuring 17 people. Sept. 2, 1986

16%

Centennial Olympic Park Bombing Caucasian Male, Eric Rudolph, committed mass murder to protest the legalization of abortion. July 27, 1996

Charleston Church Shooting Caucasian Male, Dylann Roof, opened fire in an African American Church. June 17, 2015 Protesters march on Jun. 23, 2015 through Charleston, SC. The protest happened six days after Roof killed 9 people in a historic African American Church.

January 2016

Graphics and page design by Michael Cherry Photos with permission from AP Images Information from FBI.gov

Others

42%

Communists Latino

24%

Extreme Left Wing Groups Islamic Extremists

Jewish Extremists

Graphic created by Michael Cherry Information form FBI.gov

January 2016

ISLAM yes

Information from Reza Aslan Ph.D in Sociology B.A. in Religion M.T.S. in Theology

ISIS

yes

Feature

Despite ISIS’s claim to represent the Islamic faith, there are many differences between the religion and the extremist group.

Does it support women’s rights? (Turkey, a Muslim country, has had more women representatives than the United States) Does it support violence? (Islam does not promote violence or peace, therefore ISIS is acting on its own ideals) Do they pray facing Mecca? (It is not mandatory that members of ISIS pray towards Mecca) Does it support extremism? (Extremism occurs in almost every religion, not just Islam)

Muslim Youth Club seeks to dispel Islamic generalizations Erica Schipper Copy Editor Recently, violence and hatred towards Islam seem to be shown in a large number of recent news stories. Extremist groups such as ISIS are corrupting the reputation of the peaceful religion, and people are responding by categorizing all muslims as dangers to society. Hayfield’s Muslim Youth Club (MYC) is working towards educating people on the religion of Islam and the culture surrounding it through educated debates, discussions, and reaching out to the school community. “People should understand that Islam is a religion of peace,” senior and president Mehwish Khan said. “Radicalized Islam isn’t true Islam, and like any religion, how someone practices a religion reflects on the individual person, not the whole group of people.” Members of the club are preparing for their biggest event of the year in April: the D.C. Muslim

Interscholastic Tournament. D.C. MIST is a program of workshops and competitions in leadership and communication skills, as well as sports and knowledge of the Quran. “There’s a whole array of subjects that they can participate in,” club sponsor Shahina Rahman said. “Each student signs up for a particular subject and then they prepare based on the guidelines posted online. It’s a big deal because all of the schools in our area attend, so about 3000-5000 people [come].” Aside from the competitions, at their meetings, the club focuses on current events occuring around the world. With the recent events regarding Islam in the news, meetings are mostly centered around discussions over world news and “Islamophobia.” “We have either a lecture or a topic of discussion for the whole club to debate about based on something going on with Islam in the real world,” Khan said. The discussions are open to

all Hayfield students. Members encourage anyone interested in learning about the religion to attend a meeting. “Anyone can join, [Muslim Youth Club] regardless of religion, point of view or culture,” sophomore Omnia Abdalla said. “This is is something Hayfield should be more involved with, given the amount of diversity that is available at our school.” MYC hopes to begin the new year with new members and a focus on sharing their culture with the school. With the diverse group of students at Hayfield, they feel they can expand and accomplish their goals. “MYC welcomes everyone, so if you want to come learn and experience Islam, come to a meeting,” Abdalla said. “We can contribute to the school on a large scale because Muslim Youth club is all about acceptance and diversity.”

January 2016

TJTODAY THE MAGAZINE

6560 BRADDOCK RD. ALEXANDRIA, VA 22312

WHO WE

DEC. 17, 2015 || VOL 1 ISSUE 4 | www.tjtoday.org

THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY || ALEXANDRIA, VA

Uniting in faith to dispel stereotypes, combat hate and re-define preconceived notions about Islam

FAMILY TRADITIONS

Faculty share unique holiday traditions

TRUMP AND THE MEDIA

How Donald Trump is catching our attention

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

tjTODAY presents Holiday film favorites

IN-DEPTH // 6 RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM

ARE

IN-DEPTH= DESIGN || KATHERINE DU, ANJALI KHANNA

Senior Kareem Mohiyuddin prays after a meeting of the Muslim Student Association during eighth period. Many Muslim students at Jefferson pray five times per day, depending on the position of the sun.

The ongoing story of how extremist acts from a militant group in the Middle East negatively impacts the global view of a culture

dispelling

ISLAMOPHOBIA

with faith

|| STAFF

ust as the opening bars of a comedy or riveting drama’s theme sequence sounded around 8PM on Dec. 6, television channels switched gears to a distinctly different line of programming. Minutes before the President of the United States, Barack Obama, presented his address to the nation, newscasters and radio stations mentioned how he would be discussing the “War on Terror,” as well as its repercussions. “ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and Levant) does not speak for Islam,” President Obama said. “They are thugs, and killers, part of a cult of death, and they account for a tiny fraction of a more than a billion Muslims around the world, including millions of patriotic MuslimAmericans who reject their hateful ideology.” During the speech, Obama expressed in words a common thread that has been working its way through

society since the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center on Sep. 11, 2001. “I know, after so much war, many Americans are asking whether we are confronted by a cancer that has no immediate cure,” President Obama said. Fear, warfare, destruction— words that have become commonplace for many Americans when discussing issues relating to the Middle East. Due to the ongoing events and crises taking place for over a decade, the idea of terror has instilled a sense of panic in America, and has led to the misguided perception of Islam. Defined as closed-minded prejudice against Islam and Muslims, Islamophobia is a privately held feeling, but can have great power as others begin to agree with it en masse. In 2011, the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center (ADGC) conducted a study surveying 27 countries across the

IN-DEPTH

DEC 17, 2015

A Closer Look:

DESIGN, REPORTING // Uzma Rentia, Anupama Jayaraman Data from BBC, PBS and Berkeley Center

RELIGIONS AROUND THE WORLD JUDAISM Followers: Hebrews Holy Text: Torah Holy Place: Synagogue Originated: Israel Diet: Kosher Values: Peace, truth & justice among the community and family are core values

5.9% Folk Religionists

0.2% Jews

7.1% Buddhists

31.5% Christians

15.0% Hindus

16.3% Unaffiliated

CHRISTIANITY Followers: Christians Holy Text: Bible Holy Place: Church Originated: Jerusalem Diet: No general diet restirictions Values: Peace in society; violence only in times of self-defense of innocent life

0.8% Other

23.4% Muslims

SIMILARITIES Judaism, Christianity & Islam: -Monotheistic -Originated from Judaism -Belief in prophecy Judaism, Christianity & Hinduism: -Lunar based calander All: -Traditional belief in a peaceful system with violence out of necessity

globe. In it, 52 percent of the American representative sample surveyed said that they believed the United States did not respect Muslim societies. Much of the tension surrounding the religion stems from the actions of the extremist militant group, The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also referred to as The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The mission of ISIS, as stated publicly in June 2014, is to establish a form of Islamic government, led by successors to the prophet Muhammad, across the Middle East. ISIS attempts to achieve this goal by using violence, resulting in the deaths of countless civilians across the globe. According to United Nations (UN) investigations, ISIS has executed tens of thousands of people in Syria

ISLAM Followers: Muslims Holy Text: Quran Holy Place: Mosque Originated: Saudi Arabia Diet: No pigs Values: Peace, violence only with justification

HINDUISM Followers: Hindus Holy Text: No single scripture Holy Place: Temple Originated: India Diet: No cows Values: Peace & violence for protection from attack and justice

and Iraq alone, including women and children, since the announcement of their mission in June 2014. Though ISIS commits murders in the name of Islam, the extremist nature of their actions does not reflect the beliefs of the majority of Islamic citizens. In fact, a substantial number of ISIS victims are Muslim. A UN report published in October 2014 found that ISIS has killed 9,347 Iraqi civilians - most of them Muslim - in the first eight months of 2014 alone. “[ISIS] uses religion as an excuse,” sophomore Mariam Khan, a Muslim Student Association (MSA) member, said. “These extremists use the name of God [to justify] what they are doing, but that is not at all what Islam is all about.”

8 IN-DEPTH The portrayal of the recent terrorist attack in Paris on Nov. 13 and the shooting at a center for people with developmental disabilities in San Bernardino, Calif. on Dec. 2 have done little to dispel these misconceptions of Islamic beliefs.

Virginia. Imam Abu Nahidian, the religious leader at Manassas Mosque, reported the caller threatening to kill members of the mosque in retaliation for the deaths in San Bernardino.

“These extremeists use the name of God [to justify] what they are doing, but that is not at all what Islam is all about.”

“If the media showed what [ISIS] did to Muslims in their own countries, or what rules it was breaking in Islam, people would realize that the Islamic community doesn’t support them or count them as one of their own,” Khan said. Unfortunately, this lack of media attention and understanding among select groups of Americans has led to hate crimes against followers of Islam who have no connection with the attacks. Following the San Bernardino shooting, an anonymous caller threatened a mosque in Manassas,

-Sophomore Mariam Khan “Mindsets have changed after terrorist attacks. People can’t forgive or forget the acts that ISIS committed,” freshman Eric Sun said. “Because they cannot forgive, they develop fear and suspicions of Islam, therefore causing a state of tension between Muslims and nonMuslims.”

what is islamophobia? Often it can be easy to claim the actions of an extremist few define a whole group of people. This view can be dangerous as it establishes pre-conceived notions about said groups.

Sergeant Jonathan Perok of the Prince William County police said that, if the call could be traced, the culprit could be charged with a hate crime. Though police may apprehend the perpetrator in the future, the message sent by his actions remains all too clear. “It’s easier for people to hate

on [Muslims] as a group because they want something to blame for their suffering,” junior Jenny Zhang said. “But, that doesn’t make it okay because a majority of these accused terrorists are innocent, honest people and they don’t deserve to be punished for something they didn’t do.” Issues centered around extremism and generalizing the beliefs of a religion are not new to the press; they have existed for centuries, and are now being brought to light due to current events. In 2010, TIME magazine published an article titled “Islamophobia: Does America Have a Muslim Problem?”, describing the fierce opposition to the construction of a mosque in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. The author of the article, Bobby Ghosh-Dearborn, explained how the arguments of other Americans against the construction of the mosque were mainly inaccurate assumptions toward Muslims. Extremism and its negative effects are impossible to ignore in the modern day, drawing the attention of political leaders from multiple parties. In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, former vice president Dick Cheney denounced current presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States. “I think this whole notion that somehow we can just say no more Muslims, just ban a whole religion, goes against everything we stand for and believe in,” Cheney said. “I mean, religious freedom has been a very important part of our history and where we came from. A lot of people, [such as] my ancestors got here, because they were Puritans.” The implications of extremism are more severe than the religious profiling occurring currently; altering

IN-DEPTH

DEC 17, 2015

the perception of Islam can result in long-term consequences for those being unjustly accused. “I think that Islamophobia is driven by terrorism, and it can negatively affect my future,” sophomore and MSA member Ayman Slamani said. “Anyone who’s afraid [of Islam] could prevent [me] from gaining the opportunities I would [normally] get.” In addition to the congressional measures that Obama summarized during the Dec. 6 address, there are actions that the American and global people should avoid. “One should not attack religious communities because of the actions of a few extremist people,” senior Jennifer Lee said. “That religion does not advocate violence - it’s the extremist people who interpret the religion differently and who try to kill people over things like that.” The views of ISIS are not a shared Islamic belief, but rather they are restricted to the terrorist communities and the people that they influence. “Generalizations can always be very dangerous, but they’re what people tend to go towards, because a lot of people like to look at things in black and white, good or bad, good and evil, so in that sense there’s not really an in-between, and since that’s much easier than actually getting the full story and fully understanding something, they can just look at a group of people or a country and say, ‘They’re good, they’re bad, avoid them, attack them, be peaceful with them,’” sophomore Linda Diaz said. “So then that’s always easier, but because that’s the norm for many people, that’s why people tend to make those generalizations.” Nonetheless, with the fight against terrorism organizations increasing in magnitude, it will take the cooperation of multiple nations and a shift in the global mindset to succeed. “It’s just going to get worse and worse, unless something big happens,” sophomore and MSA member Faris Awan said. “[Recent events] make me want to respond to [extremism], but I know that it’s just going to make it worse, so I just keep it inside. Make myself a better person.”

DEFINING RELIGION Sabria Kazmi || STAFF WRITER Uzma Rentia || TEAM LEADER

Islam

1: n; monotheistic and Abrahamic religion based upon the Qur’an and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (570 CE - 632 CE) 2: vb; to peacefully surrender and be contented, comes from the root word salam, or peace

Qur’·an

1: n; believed by Muslims to be the literal word of God and the last divine revelation. It was revealed over a period of 23 years and contains 11,423 chapters, called surahs, and over six thousand verses, called ayahs. It includes references to past events and stories of Prophets, it is not in chronological order

Sha·ri·a

1: n; “the path.” Forms the basis of the Islamic legal system, under which only Muslims can be tried. According to the Islamic Supreme Council the purpose of sharia law is to establish justice, educate the individual, uphold morality, prevent hardship and prevent oppression

Ji·had

1: n; struggling or striving. Said struggle should be only for a good cause, which does not constitute killing innocent non-muslims.

“Allah’hu Akbar”

1: n; means “Allah, God, is greater.” It is statement Muslims say consistently throughout the religious prayer done five times a day. It is not a war cry; during the early days of Islam people were actually looked down upon for using it as such. Definitions from Critical Lives by Yahiya Emerick

12 IN-DEPTH

THE POWER OF MEDIA:

Is the media worsening the issue of Islamophobia?

Sruthi Jayaraman and Kate Deng || STAFF REPORTER and DESIGN EDITOR

In light of the Paris attacks a little over a month ago, and the recent San Bernardino shootings, Islamophobia, a prejudice against Islam and Muslims, has become an increasingly discussed issue. One of the leading factors of this discussion is the way media is portraying terrorism. With newly minted technology rising from every avenue, media is one of the most important means of distributing information to the populace, including social media. Although most media sources, such as Cable News Network (CNN) and American Broadcast Company (ABC), attempt to be objective, in some cases, they can be biased towards one side of an issue and have the power to influence the views and opinions of people to a certain degree. “I know personally I don’t really think twice about wrong information on credible news sources because I assume they know that they’re talking about,” sophomore Cassie Quach said. “But I do realize that many of them can be biased, and I have sometimes been a victim to their misinformation.” In regards to Islamophobia, some media sources have framed their information in a way that perpetuates

fear of Muslims. “Fox News portrays all Muslims as terrorists and generally puts them in a bad light in order to gain viewers who believe whatever is on TV is true,” freshman Divya Kumaran said. However, even though media sometimes present a biased view,

“Media influenced our views because we are so exposed to it, especially now that a large amount of social media is available as well. News articles, TV shows, and other media sources can have a lot of bias that will influence the reader.” -Senior Melissa Pothen it is not completely their fault for perpetuating inaccurate portrayals. “Even though the media tends to give biased information, it is

still partially the people’s civic responsibility to be an informed citizen, which means looking through more than one form or source of news in order to eliminate bias as much as possible from various partisan news outlets and corporations,” senior Augene Park said. The media has been constantly reporting information about the recent terrorist attacks, but as Islamophobia becomes a larger issue, it raises the question of whether media is instigating that prejudice. “It’s hard to say for sure whether media is doing a good job, because I am only exposed to more popular media sources, but I feel like when there is a major terrorist attack or shooting, every top-tier media source pounces on that one event and gives a generalized overview,” junior Amritha Justin said. “I’d much rather know about how I can help, what could be done to prevent such events, and what other events that are similar to the one under the constant spotlight.” As new incoming information will emerge with time concerning terrorism and other issues, it is important to note the differences between media’s facts and opinions.

photos courtesy of Creative Commons from Altair78, Deskana, KevinAction, and Newstruck.

IN-DEPTH

DEC. 17, 2015

ISIS, NOT MUSLIMS: Jiny Cho || STAFF REPORTER

Extremists are NOT representative of the whole religion

Recently, the term “extremist” has become more closely associated with the actions of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), due to its violent crimes against countries throughout the globe. Although ISIL is a terrorist group claiming to be centered around Islamic ideas like peace, their prejudice in no way applies to every Muslim. Those who agree with “extremist” ideals make up an extremely small population of Muslims. In a Q&A, Jefferson students respond to the aftermath of these tragedies and what it means for the global landscape.

HOW DID YOU RESPOND TO THE TRAGEDIES WHICH OCCURRED AROUND THE WORLD, SPECIFICALLY IN PARIS?

“I was surprised at first. After the surprise settled in, I was more alarmed and worried about the people who suffered and about what they might do next,” sophomore Medhini Rachamallu said. WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD DO OR SHOULD NOT DO WHEN RESPONDING TO THE ATTACKS?

“The people who did these attacks are not representative of their religion, their nationality. We as people need to keep in mind the plight of the refugees, and also try to help them while not generalizing them based on their religion,” freshman Vikrant Magadi said.

“People shouldn’t really freak out, they should just know that we’re in a pretty safe country, so there’s no need to stay at home all the time now, just because of those attacks,” sophomore Adam Yee said. “When people lack nuance in the understanding of their faith, are in a bad situation, or are in a political climate where there’s lots of violence and hatred, they tend to go to religion to justify their actions. Islam is a religion that has been all about understanding and applying religion to different situations and just to be accepting of others and engage in peace, not violence,” senior Kareem Mohiyuddin said.

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES RESPOND TO ISIS Bernie Sanders

Focuses on protecting incoming refugees. “During these difficult times as Americans, we will not succumb to racism. We will not allow ourselves to be divided and succumb to Islamophobia. And while hundreds of thousands have lost everything, have nothing left but the shirts on their backs, we will not turn our backs on the refugees.”

Rick Santorum

Blames President Obama for the recent ISIS attacks in Paris. Opposing Obama’s current policy, he supports stronger action. “People are dying because this president refuses to face the truth. I would be launching a major offensive against ISIS right now.”

Jeb Bush

Donald Trump

Supports military action “Are we fighting a war or is this a law enforcement exercise? Make it a war.” His goal is to create “stability, so when we leave, we don’t have to come back again.”

Is personal in his plan to deal with ISIS “You have to take out their families. When you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families! They care about their lives, don’t kid yourselves. They say they don’t care about their lives. But you have to take out their families.”

Favors non-military approach

Favors military approach

Hillary Clinton

Sticks by the current strategy employed by President Obama, opposing military action to combat ISIS “In terms of thousands of combat troops like some on the Republican side are recommending... it should be a non-starter, both because I don’t think it’s the smartest way to go after ISIS - I think it gives ISIS a new recruitment tool if we get back in the fight.”

Carly Fiorina

Lays out a plan to assist global allies “Instead of having a Camp David conference to talk our Arab allies into a bad deal with Iran, I would have had a Camp David conference to talk with our Arab allies about how we can support them to fight ISIS.”

candidate quotes from the Washington Post, CNN, the New York Times, CBS and the Huffington Post

Ben Carson

Has taken an aggressive stance on American involvement in terrorism “I think America’s involvement should be trying to eliminate them completely. Destroy them. I think in order to make them look like losers, we have to destroy their caliphate.”

GRAPHIC || Lilia Qian Design || Uzma Rentia

OPINION

DEC 17, 2015

INEQUALITY FOR ALL:

Even in the wake of terrorist attacks, there should be no distinction between Christian and Muslim Refugees

Katherine Hughes || STAFF WRITER

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DESIGN // Uzma Rentia

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