Paulette Granberry Russell knows the events of the last week have affected almost everyone she knows.
She knew it had affected her 6-year-old son when he woke up one night with nightmares about being lost on a plane.
And the senior adviser to the president for diversity knows it has negatively affected the MSU campus when she reads e-mail from Muslim students who are being harassed because of a perceived connection between the Islamic religion and Osama bin Laden, the man suspected of engineering the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington.
In an effort to educate students about Islam and break stereotypes about Muslim students, the Muslim Students’ Association hosted an Open Unity Forum Wednesday night.
“I can’t express the extent of the (impact of the) events in my life,” Granberry Russell said. “I would like to thank MSA for the opportunity to come together to share, talk about our fears, and look forward.”
MSA and MSU administrators spoke with students to help dispel misconceptions about Islam in an effort to avoid harassment on campus and to educate people about the Middle East.
MSA members, who met with MSU President M. Peter McPherson on Friday, said they are open to questions and want to show that last week’s attacks do not represent Islam, the beliefs of the Muslim religion. They are displayed in the form of a book, the Quran, and in the form of Allah, the Muslim god.
More than 400 people attended the event, which featured remarks from McPherson, Vice President for Student Affairs and Services Lee June, Director of the Office of Racial Ethnic Student Affairs Rodney Patterson and other university officials.
Provost Lou Anna Simon encouraged students to have conversations with each other and seek out information to clear up misconceptions.
“I think it’s important for people to remain open-minded and not be swayed by what are media sound bites,” she said.
Packaging senior Julie Thomas said she came to the forum to gain information about Islam.
“A lot of people on campus are being close-minded,” she said. “I hope to be able to educate people when I hear a racial slur, to let them know all people aren’t like that.”
Jameel Aftab, president of MSA, said the purpose of the forum was to educate the campus community.
“We want to better inform the public about what Islam is, and help our community move forward after these horrific tragedies,” the psychology senior said.
Aftab said there are many misconceptions about Islam, and he hopes the forum ended them.
“I hope the public will be more aware of the Muslim presence and more understanding of the feelings and needs of our community and be better educated in all ways,” he said.
MSA Vice President Salman Ateequi said he thinks the harassment experienced by some of the Muslim students on campus stems from ignorance.
“We aren’t of a hostile nature,” the finance sophomore said. “We do everything in peace,” he said.
Fareeha Shuttari, MSA secretary, said it is important for students to know how to react to what happened last week.
“I expect for students to be tolerant,” she said. “If they have any questions about Islam and how it relates to the tragedies in New York, talking to us is the best way we can inform them that Islam is about peace. If they don’t tell us and hold in this anger and misunderstanding of Islam, then that becomes a problem.”
