Islam Awareness Week aims to address misconceptions of violence
Muslim Student Association hosts various activities to engage community

BY JESSICA STARK
Rice News staff

Rice University will kick off Islam Awareness Week this weekend with a 2 p.m. Jummah prayer session Jan. 29 in Kelley Lounge of Rice Memorial Center. The weekly prayer session, which consists of a 30-minute sermon open to all faiths, will lead the way to other activities that include a world food fair at 8 p.m. Feb. 2 in the RMC’s Grand Hall and a lecture by John Voll, associate director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, at 7 p.m. Feb. 4 in Herring Hall, Room 100. Voll will discuss Islam’s stance on violence and terrorism and will take questions from the audience.

“I felt the need to address this topic and invite the Rice and Houston community to hear what an unbiased scholar has to say about Islam and terrorism,” said Huda Khalid, a Wiess College senior. “The recent massacre at Fort Hood and the airplane bombing attempt on Christmas Day have been a serious setback to Muslims and our post-9/11 efforts to improve our image. Despite widespread condemnation of these horrific acts by prominent Muslim leaders and organizations all over the world, Islam is constantly stereotyped as an intolerant religion that promotes violence.”

Khalid is the president of Rice’s Muslim Student Association, which aims to provide educational programs that enable the Rice community to better understand Islam.

“We felt the need to present the pure teachings of our faith and allow students to base their opinions about Islam on facts, rather than on the sensationalism and Islamophobia that the media consistently feeds to the public,” Khalid said. “A Gallup Poll released last week shows that nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of Americans have very little knowledge of Islam, yet at the same time, Islam is the most negatively viewed religion in the U.S.”

Khalid said that in addition to dispelling misconceptions about her religion, she hopes that events like Islam Awareness Week will inspire students to be more tolerant and open-minded in all matters, not only religion. She hopes the week will also remind students of all the opportunities for personal growth at Rice.

“By interacting with the diverse student body, attending lectures given by visiting speakers from around the world and taking classes focused on global health and sustainability, my experience at Rice has significantly increased my awareness of issues that the world faces today,” Khalid said. “I hope that everyone at Rice has experiences like that so they too can gain an appreciation of others’ worldviews and cultures, as well as take the opportunity to share their own.”