From The Daily Pennsylvanian
by Eunice Lim
On Tuesday, Penn students got the chance to “Meet a Muslim” in Houston Hall and on Locust Walk as part of the Muslim Student Association’s “Islamic Discovery Series.”
Even in a country as religiously diverse as the United States, only 38 percent of the population knows a Muslim person, according to a 2014 Pew Research Center study.
It is in the context of this and the ongoing negative portrayals of Islam and Muslims in the media that MSA hosts its annual, weeklong discovery series.
“I feel that there are a lot of misunderstandings when it comes to Muslims because it’s easy for the media to dehumanize them. And the narratives that exist around them are very extreme and discouraging,” said College and Engineering senior Habeeb Suara, who is the community relations chair in MSA. “This discovery series week is meant to emphasize similarities rather than differences.”
MSA Vice President and College senior Fahmida Sarmin echoed this sentiment.
“We’re normal students, and like everyone else we’re here to get an education. Through this event, we’re just showcasing something that’s a really big part of our lives — Islam,” Sarmin said.
