What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you
think of Islam and Muslims? Sadly, I feel I can already anticipate the most
common response. Perhaps some of the responses will pertain to some form of
terrorism or oppression of women. If not directly stated, then these thoughts
are at the very least on many peoples’ minds.

Honestly though, I don’t blame anyone for having these
initial perceptions, because it seems that every day there is another story
that negatively portrays the religion of Islam and its followers. Among these
include suicide bombings, terrorist attacks, misogyny, childish responses to
offensive cartoons, honor killings — all pitifully linked to being committed
in the name of Islam. There is a persistent portrayal of my faith associated
with violence and animosity, and I understand that as a result, it is only
natural for some to have developed a mistaken preconception of Islam.

However, what I ask of all of you is to put these initial
perceptions aside, and give Islam another chance. One can approach this
religion of more than a billion followers in the world today in two ways: with
the objective of satisfying a preconception that Islam is a barbaric religion
or with an open mind not influenced by these negative preconceptions.

The former will inevitably lead one to the conclusion that
Islam is a backward religion. This is not just a lesson in the context of
religion, but rather a lesson in the context of being a moral human being. If
we approach any belief system with negative preconceptions, then we are bound
to find demeaning aspects about it. We will only find the truth if we actively
seek it with a self-critical attitude — acknowledging that we could
potentially be incorrect. Although I was born a Muslim, I only began to truly
embrace Islam less than four years ago, and it has brought a sense of peace and
serenity to my life that is indescribable. It is truly disheartening to see
that people today have this horrific image of the faith that I and many others
have devoted our lives to.

Too many times have you heard Islam conveys the message of
peace, but not often enough do you ever witness this statement as a reality. At
this point, I can do no more than to ask you to remove this negative
preconception created by those unfortunate few who have deviated from the true
substance of Islam. I have seen past the mere depiction and representation of
the religion and have lived and felt it myself. For me, Islam remains a message
of sincerity, love and compassion in the name of God and submission to His
will. I see it as my moral imperative to make sure, with all my heart, that I
extend the essence of this love to my fellow neighbor.

Muslims at the University of Wisconsin have been actively
involved in promoting this ethos/spirit and have accomplished such a great deal
with respect to it. Farha Tahir, an undergraduate majoring in European history,
helped found the UW-Madison chapter of Project Downtown — whose aim is to
build shelters for the homeless and feed the poor and needy. Maha Hilal, a
graduate student at UW, is the chair of In Your Hands, which does various
humanitarian activities such as orphan sponsorship projects and charitable
fundraisers for those less fortunate. Awais Khaleel, UW undergraduate and vice
president of the College Democrats of America, is a prime example of how
Muslims are thriving in politics as well. Mr. Khaleel is one of three
Democratic superdelegates under the age of 25.

I could further extend this list with all the contributions
Muslims have made not just to this campus, but to the community as a whole.
This year, the Muslim Students’ Association has a multitude of accomplishments
ranging from educational lectures, volunteer work, interfaith gatherings and
social events for Muslims and people of other faiths alike. Check out our
website, www.uw-msa.org, and see for yourself what Muslims in your community
are doing.

Our mission is to encourage an atmosphere of
open-mindedness, love and respect for people of all ideologies and backgrounds.
The UW MSA, similar to MSAs around the nation and Muslim organizations across
the globe, hopes to dispel the many misconceptions surrounding Islam. We hope
that with your open mind and understanding, we can live side by side without
any negative perceptions in the back of our minds. Let me leave you with a
befitting verse from the Quran:

“Oh mankind! We created you from a single pair of a
male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may get to
know each other, not that you may despise each other, and the most honored of
you in the sight of God is he who is most righteous. God has full knowledge and
is well acquainted with all things.” (Quran: Chapter 49, verse 13).

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Sabih Khwaja ([email protected]) is president of the
UW Muslim Students’ Association and is a junior majoring in biochemistry.