February 9, 2010

On Sunday, Dr. Sophia Momand and I addressed a crowd of 70 congregants at the United Methodist Church in Long Beach, California. Our presentations were embraced with laughter, smiles and curious questions. The experience was a gentle reminder of how important it is to take the time as a Muslim community to go out and speak for ourselves.

It was an energizing opportunity that helped illuminate the importance of having direct and honest conversations with people who don't fully see eye to eye with you. We began with the disarming humor of Dr. Momand, who explained the significance and diversity behind the Muslim veil. I then explored the status of women in Islamic and Western communities, highlighting MPAC's recent paper "Abusing Women, Abusing Islam: Re-Examining Sharia Court Rulings in Contemporary Times". After our formal talks, I transitioned into a 45-minte question and answer session and framed it as an opportunity to ask the difficult questions that people really wanted to ask -- because without honesty, we wouldn't be able to get the most out of our time together.

The discourse that ensued was healthy for both the speakers and the audience members. It allowed me to see just how eager non-Muslims are to learn about Muslim issues and served as an opportunity for Christians in the room to ask the questions weighing heavily on their minds. We discussed topics like the role of the hijab, why Islam is so often linked with religious violence, and effective counter-terrorism. We highlighted the benefits of engaging each other more frequently through programs such as Standing Together (organized by the Christian Muslim Consultative Group). The event concluded with a much deeper and richer understanding of each other.

--Aziza Hasan (aziza@mpac.org)
Southern California Government Relations Director