Being Muslim at CSU

Perception (per-sepSHen): The process of becoming aware of the world around you through your senses.

Envision walking around Cleveland State University's campus as if it were actually a tour around the globe; one cannot turn a corner without seeing someone of a different nationality or race. By noticing the way students dress and speak, you can get a taste of hundreds of cultures, as well as a whiff of the air of countless countries all over the world.

But does everyone really stop and look at this blend of diversity as something beautiful? When they see certain ethnic groups they may not understand, do they attempt to educate themselves about them, or do they form negative perceptions of those people based on stereotypes and other factors? Contrary to the aforementioned definition, to perceive something is not always to be truly aware of it.

The college experience is more enriching when understanding the diverse people surrounding campus —the lives of those that may be misunderstood. With understanding comes acceptance, and with acceptance comes the breaking down of barriers that could tie the student body together.

One of these many diverse groups of people who attend this university is the Middle Eastern population, and more specifically, the Muslim community.

Based on a report conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life in 2009, there are more than 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, and one in four people worldwide is Muslim. Muslims descend from a vast range of nationalities and cultures. Because of these differences, negative perceptions and generalizations are bound to form about a subject one may not understand. In order to understand Muslims, one must look into the faith that Muslims follow: Islam.

To many Muslims, Islam is not solely a religion, but a way of life. The meaning of the word "Islam" derives from the Arabic word "salam" meaning "peace." Muslims believe in one god, Allah, and they follow the teachings of the Qur'an, the Islamic book of faith.

Muslims on campus

According to Shehadeh Abdelkarim, advisor of Muslim Students Association (MSA), there are over 500 Muslims who attend CSU. Each is authentic in the way one may choose to dress, the spoken language, birth country and culture. Every Muslim carries their own riveting story in their back pocket.

"I know Muslims at CSU that are from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Libya,and Nigeria," said Muslim and Civil Engineering major Abdullah Shubayr.

Shubayr, native to Saudi Arabia, lived there up until three years ago before moving to Cleveland. He has attended CSU for one year, appreciating the diverse Muslim population on campus.

"It's great to have a lot of Muslims around school because we understand each other," Shubayr said.

Much of the Muslim population was also born in the United States, but their parents, grandparents, grandparents' parents and so on were born in foreign countries. Endless dialects of the Arabic language are spoken by different Muslims depending on where someone is from, and this plays a part in the blend of cultures existing among the CSU Muslim community.

Perceptions

When asked, many non-Muslims on campus perceive Islam as a peaceful religion.

Physics and Forensic Chemistry major Anthony Brzozowski is one of those people. Having read the Qur'an as well as many other religious scriptures, he believes it is necessary for society to have Muslims integrated into the American culture.

"We're going to have to integrate with countries around the world, too," Brzozowski said. "It gives us another step in the evolution of our species in a way."

While there are non-Muslims who are well-educated about the religion, others may look at it in a negative perspective.

"Of course you're going to be walking on eggshells about something you don't know," said Anthropology major Abdullah Jackson. "When you have something that's foreign to someone—no matter what it is—they're going to have something to say."

Jackson is a Muslim convert of 14 years and has had his fair share of being perceived with a negative eye due to his choice of religion.

"That's every day," Jackson said. "There are Muslims that don't represent Islam well by their actions, and there are people that are scared to accept [Islam] because of the stereotypes on TV."

Although, at a macro level, negative perceptions of Islam are evident, much of the CSU community seems to be receptive of the large Muslim population.

Moatasem Al Bitar, first-year president of Student Government Association, felt welcomed by professors and classmates after moving to Cleveland. He is from Egypt, but was born in Saudi Arabia.

"I was elected as president of the student body, and the president before me was Mohammad Faraj, a Muslim as well," Al Bitar said. "That's all the proof you need that people are accepting here."

Al Bitar admitted that despite meeting many open-minded people at CSU, he has been subject to negativity. He believes this is 90 percent the fault of the media and 10 percent because of word of mouth.

"Being a Muslim is not a negative thing," Al Bitar said. "Before I die, I want to see Fox News showing the 99 percent of Muslims who live their lives normally; just drinking coffee or going to school without blasting and bombing something."

Hijab, Niqab and Burqa

The head and body covering the Muslim women on campus, and Muslim women all over the world, may be seen wearing is frequently brought up in question and sometimes confusion. This is largely because the core reason why it is worn is not entirely understood.

One form of traditional head covering is the hijab, worn for the purposes of modesty and privacy.

"It's not just about covering your hair," said Mona Jamal, secretary of MSA, who personally chose to start wearing the hijab her freshman year of high school. "It's about modesty, which is a big part of Islam."