by Assistant Professor of Religion Irfana Hashmi
Last fall I surprised students in my Islam class when I mentioned that the first historical record of a Muslim in North America was 1528; “”how could that be,” they asked, shaking their heads in disbelief. The idea that Muslims were part of America’s early colonial history debunked a common myth that Islam had arrived on the shores of North America on 9/11 or as part of a late 19th and early 20th century-immigration wave. “Islam has always been part of America,” President Barack Obama reminded Americans during his important speech at the Islamic Society of Baltimore this past Wednesday; many African slaves brought to America in colonial times were Muslims—as many as 20% according to some scholars.
A message to all Americans, President Obama’s speech highlighted the pivotal role that Muslims have played in building up this nation, from designing the skyscrapers of Chicago to cranking out cars on Henry Ford’s assembly line, not to mention their contributions as farmers, firefighters, police officers, teachers, doctors, and service members. He called on Muslims to reclaim their rightful place in the American story: “You are right where you belong. You’re part of America, too. You’re not Muslim or Americans; you’re Muslim and American.”
The rationale behind President Obama’s visit to an American mosque, a first in his administration, is likely linked to growing Islamophobia in the election cycle and the surge in hate crimes targeting American Muslims around the country.
When Islamophobia hit Whittier’s campus last semester and a Muslim Poet of Middle Eastern descent was targeted, students were quick to reject this assault on a member of their community; concerned students met with President Sharon Herzberger, Dean Darrin Good, Dean Joel Pérez, and faculty to discuss how to build community and create a more inclusive culture on campus. The conversation continued into the last week of classes when student Shirley Thao '15 led a teach-in around the Syrian Civil War, ISIS/Daesh, the Refugee Crisis, and Islamophobia; the student-directed event engaged over 70 faculty members and students in critical dialogue.
This semester, Poets will continue the conversation around pressing world events and how they impact the US. This Tuesday, February 9, 2016, Syrian-American filmmaker and Whittier parent Elias Matar will screen and discuss Flight of the Refugees in the Whittier College Chapel at 7 p.m. The short film documents the harrowing journey of various Syrian families, as they cross the Macedonian border from Greece to Germany. More than 7,000 refugees start this journey every day seeking asylum in Western Europe. In early March, students Claire Chiboub '16, Amer Rashid '17, and Shirley Thao '15 will lead a discussion on combating Islamophobia with the support of Whittier faculty. Details will be circulated on list serves in advance. Please join your fellow Poets, and do not be, as President Obama said, “bystanders to bigotry.”
