Several Muslim students claimed they have been discriminated against both on and off campus because of their religion at a recent cultural dinner.

The dinner, co-hosted by the Muslim Educational and Cultural Association (M.E.C.A.) and We Introduce Nations at Dickinson (W.I.N.D.), included various activities and presentations by both Muslim and non-Muslim Dickinson students about what Islam means and their respective experiences of being Muslim, especially under the presidency of Donald Trump.

“The general consensus was that Muslim students don’t have allies on campus when they face discrimination or other issues, and that we should work to improve their experience on campus,” said Grace Ingle ’20, one of the attendees.

“I mean it’s Trump’s America, so it’s a hot topic,” said Aboody Rumman ’20. “When you’re brown and you’re Muslim it is pretty hard to fit into some groups…For many of my friends who are Muslim especially, some people who are practicing Muslims, it’s hard for them to fit into some groups because [others] fear their Islamic identity.”

For Eric Palermo ’20, member of W.I.N.D. executive board, these stories were especially horrifying.

“The testimonials of students about incidences of blatant discrimination that they faced in their lives simply for being a Muslim was completely eye-opening. It is disheartening to know that these students, some of whom were my friends, were treated so differently from me solely because of their dress, skin color and/or beliefs,” he said.

On top of efforts to change popular misconceptions of the Muslim community, the dinner also focused on several controversial traditions of Islam and warned attendees against applying Western standards on these practices.

“A lot of people think that the fact that Muslim women choose to cover parts of their body means that we are oppressed. This is not true at all, because headwear is our personal decision. The hijab is an indispensable part of our religious devotion and cultural identity, and we choose to wear it because we want to,” noted Yasmin Abdulhamid ’21, from Ethiopia. “What I really want to emphasize is that Islam does not equal terrorism. I am a Muslim and I absolutely do not condone the action[s] of ISIS or any terrorist organization. Islamic practices are followed by roughly 1.8 billion people from all over the world, so it is not fair to hold 1.8 billion of us responsible for the act of a few individuals.”

Burhan Khan ’21, Secretary of M.E.C.A., said that while he has not felt discriminated against, he was grateful for the event for clearing up misconceptions about this religion.

“I don’t feel discriminated against because….I am new to the states so I haven’t met anyone yet who discriminates [against] people on their religions. However, the purpose of [the] M.E.C.A. event was to [raise awareness] of Islamic cultures because we don’t know much about it, and it is greatly misunderstood in many parts of the world.”

Chair of the Middle Eastern Studies Department, David Commins, also attended the dinner. He said he appreciated that there was discussion on inclusivity of different Muslim groups on campus.

“The students did a presentation about common stereotypes of Muslims in American culture and dispelled such stereotypes.  I expect the intercultural competency initiative will address ways to advance inclusion for Muslim on campus,” he stated. “I think [M.E.C.A.] did a great job on Friday and I look forward to seeing their efforts flourish at Dickinson.”

“I went because I’m in Middle Eastern studies, so I wanted to understand what I’m learning about in the context of our school community,” said Ingle.

When talking about inclusivity, Rumman thought dialogue and allyship was important.

“This is basic stuff, this isn’t what they should be taught at college but sadly that has to be taught because it seems they’ve forgotten this stuff…The…way we can tackle this is to recognize that this a thing…. And say ‘I see this and I am with you,’ that’s reassuring.”

The Muslin Educational and Cultural Association (M.E.C.A.) and We Introduce Nations at Dickinson (W.I.N.D.) came together to hold the “Breaking Stereotypes over Breaking Bread Feast” in Allison Hall from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10. Over 50 Dickinson members, including students and faculty members, attended the event.