Events Educate Students About Islam
Islam Awareness Month promotes understanding, interfaith dialogue



The Muslim Student Association is hosting a series of events this month to educate students about Islam.

Islam Awareness Month began with a public prayer in the South Oval on March 26 and will end with the Peace Not Prejudice student film festival April 14 in the Oklahoma Memorial Ballroom.

Peace Not Prejudice is a student film festival, hosted by the Muslim Students Association, featuring short films from diverse advocacy groups on campus, ranging from the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender and Friends Students Association to Delta Phi Omega.

Events in March and April included the Taste of Islam cultural food fair, a discussion about science in the Qur'an, and a panel on the state of Islam in America.

Richard Wierengo, political science and geography senior, said he attended all the past events and plans to attend the film festival.

"It’s interesting to learn [about Islam], because where I come from, there aren’t many Muslims," Wierengo said.

He said the Islam in America discussion panel taught him that Islam's impact on the U.S. reaches back to the earliest days of the nation.

"Our first ally was Morocco, an Islamic state," Wierengo said. "Also, there is some evidence that shows system of English Common Law, which we use in the U.S. comes from a form of Islamic jurisprudence in Northern Africa."

Sarah Sullivan, Muslim Student Association secretary, said the reactions to the events has been mostly positive.

"We try to selectively choose the topics that will attract the most attention for each event, and there has been a lot of good discussion," said Sullivan, dental hygiene junior.

Sullivan said understanding is reached between Muslims and non-Muslims when both parties take steps to understand the other.

"It takes two to tango, so it takes non-Muslims to come and ask us questions about what concerns them," she said. "And we have to reach out to non-Muslims, because we understand the stereotypes that come along."