“On Our Own Terms: Muslim Youth Speak Out,” was a public forum organized to give the campus community a chance to voice their thoughts on Islamophobia to members of the press and a diverse panel of speakers.
Many participants spoke out in support of political discussion and activism. The event was held on June 29 by the SAC Equity Commission and recently-formed advocacy group Students Against Islamophobia (SAI), and saw a large turnout of Muslim and non-Muslim students.
In the wake of islamophobic incidents on campus and negative news stories, many felt that Muslim students were being targetted by media stereotypes of angry and misguided youth. With last month’s arrest of 17 individuals involved in an alleged bombing plot, the accused, including UTM student Saad Khalid, are being labelled “homegrown terrorists.”
Campus groups including the SAC and the Muslim Students’ Association resent the implication of these labels, that terrorism is rooted in the Muslim community. These groups are also frustrated by what they see as assumptions that Muslims accused of terrorist acts are automatically guilty, or that their defenders are complicit. “We are deeply concerned by how the media represents Muslims and their alleged connections to terrorism,” said SAC vice president e
quity Ausma Malik.
Malik’s introductory remarks, telling the audience that speaking out is part of being a good Canadian and a good Muslim, set the tone for the evening’s discussion. Later on, the audience applauded as the news media was scolded for portraying Canadian Muslims as having divided loyalties. One panelist bemoaned not being able to go camping or paintballing (“or as we call it, training,”) without appearing suspicious.
Such worries aren’t as baseless as they may seem. CSIS recently investigated a U of T student after he converted to Islam, as part of the agency’s program of “disruption techniques” to frighten people identified as potentially dangerous. Professor Wesley Wark calls the program “quintessentially Canadian — a stern lecture to the parents,” but participants in the forum saw it as part of a growing suspicion towards Islam.
The event was somewhat marred when a photographer from a major Toronto newspaper was allegedly overheard telling his editor he had a good picture of a participant who “looks like a scary one.” Organizers responded by saying that if that remark was actually made, it only underlines the importance of promoting sincere and respectful communication.
Some complained about being made to feel like radicals after speaking in public about injustices against Muslims. “It’s not radicalism, it’s response,” declared a woman encouraging political activism as a path for youth frustrated by Islamophobia. The statement received enthusiastic approval.
“People were confident,” said SAI representative Gengiz Seyhun. “It was clear it was unacceptable for the media to redirect accusations against the Muslim community in general.” According to Seyhun, the meeting’s open format sent the message that instead of any one person speaking for Muslims in general, community dialogue is essential to overcoming the climate of fear and disrespect felt by many Muslim students.
Participants in the forum agreed that U of T is fortunate to be able to host such an event. Several speakers and audience members rejected the terms “extremist” and “moderate” as divisive and poorly-defined. Instead, they called on Muslims to make it clear their community does not have a “terrorist problem” and that suspicion of Islam is the result of misrepresentation. All who spoke during the evening urged Muslim communities to show solidarity and to affirm their political, legal, and social rights.
A similar event on the UTM campus is in the early planning stages.
