With the media’s demands and society’s stereotypes, it can be hard to break through barriers that negatively target minorities.
Over the last couple of months, the Associated Student Body (ASB) leadership team at Berkeley High School has hosted the “ASB: Speaker Series” where BHS students and members of the community are provided with a platform to present, introduce, and educate the BHS community about their respective organizations and clubs, the issues that the particular group faces in today’s world, and how students at BHS can show their support.
For instance, ASB leadership invited the Muslim Student Association (MSA) to speak as the most recently featured club to take part in the Speaker Series. In light of Islamophobia and Trump’s recently implemented immigration ban, ASB leadership believed the MSA had a strong message and needed representation.
At the event, hosted in the Little Theatre, MSA thoroughly and thoughtfully executed the material of their Speaker Series presentation. Speakers of the the MSA presentation initially taught students about the basics of the Muslim religion. The slide, created by Council on American Islamic Relations, went into depth about some of the usually unmentioned topics in the typical school curriculum such as information about Islam, the Qur’an, and how Muslims practice their religion. This introductory part of the presentation allowed student audiences to get educated on the true basis of the Muslim religion and dispelled any lack of knowledge on the generalities of the subject.
“It was really important to us to educate students on Islam and the Muslim community,” said MSA Co-President Emara Shabir. “Islam is always shown in a bad light and we wanted to show the true beauty of the religion.”
According to ASB President Julia Schwartz, many students at last year’s Student Summit, an ASB event, were unsatisfied with some aspects of the BHS school curriculum. Students expressed that the curriculum especially lacked discussion on different cultures and social justice.
Both leadership students and those of a variety of social justice clubs were very interested in having the opportunity to create a dialogue about their realities and educate BHS students about the minority groups they represent.
“I hope students come away feeling like they learned something important that they would not necessarily learn in a classroom,” said Schwartz. “I hope that the series gives students a chance to teach what they want to teach and learn what they want to learn.” The opportunity for the MSA to present was meaningful to the group in multiple ways. “Our motivation was to educated students on Islam, [and] showing them that Muslims are on campus,” stated Shabir.
In addition to their presentation, the MSA also provided discussion through a panel of invited guests to speak. The panel welcomed a diverse choice of speakers to talk about their personal experiences, and any questions the audience had. In particular, the panel had Danielle Elliott, a Muslim BHS teacher and case manager in the Counseling-Enriched Classes. Alongside Ms. Elliott were two students from Zaytuna College, the country’s first Muslim liberal arts college.
“People really need to know that Islam is a completely peaceful religion. Just like no one sees the KKK as a Christian church, no one should see ISIS as a Muslim congregation. Actually, we follow a religion focused on good manners, charity, seeking knowledge, and devotion to God. And most of us are open to your questions, so ask us,” said Ms. Elliott.
With MSA’s confidence, vulnerabliy, and honesty to explain, the truth of Islam left students feeling the same confidence to continue to remember that truth.
Similarly speaking, Ms. Elliott said, “I was so impressed at the impact that the recitation of the Qur’an had on the student body. I’m ecstatic that the other panelists publicly shared some verses of the Qur’an and that it was received with respect, love, and requests for more.”
The potential impact of this presentation is unavoidable to recognize. Especially in our current political climate, having the Muslim Student Association openly represented has shown resistance and reminded society that the Muslim community remains proud. As one of the few Muslim teachers on campus, this event has allowed Ms. Elliott to connect to many Muslims in the BHS community. “In my eyes, the event was truly encouraging. Since the event, several students who are Muslim have introduced themselves to me. Other students have asked me thoughtful and respectful questions,” said Ms. Elliott.
“We wanted students to be properly educated on Islam, to learn certain keywords like Arab and Arabic. To know that there are Muslims on campus, that we are an active club,” expressed Shabir. “We also hope that when these students are discussing Islam and any misconceptions surface that they can educate others”
Schwartz, ASB Vice President Abby Steckel, and the rest of ASB Leadership aim to continue the event. She explained, “Well, we have been consistent in having one basically every month, so I hope every group we have on schedule will participate. I hope if people enjoy, which I think they are, it will happen again next year, but that is up to whoever is elected [for ASB President].”