Students protest 'Going Muslim'

NYU's United Muslims Association held a teach-in at the Kimmel Center yesterday afternoon to rebut "Going Muslim," a controversial column published on Forbes.com last week by Stern professor Tunku Varadarajan.

But rather than condemning Varadarajan's article, most speakers emphasized the importance of solidarity and multicultural understanding in NYU's diverse community.

In his piece, Varadarajan wrote that Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a Muslim military psychiatrist who killed 13 people at the army base in Fort Hood, Tex., did not "go postal "; rather, he "went Muslim," a phrase Varadarajan coined to refer to seemingly assimilated Muslim-Americans who choose to vindicate their religion in acts of messianic violence. His column provoked heated reactions from many members of the NYU community.

CAS senior and UMA vice president Wally Omar said he was taken aback and hurt when he read the article, but also recognized the opportunity to respond with open, peaceful dialogue. On Thursday, three days after the column was published, Omar and other students began organizing yesterday's teach-in.

Students wore shirts that said "HARMONYU," and filled most of the space on Kimmel's main staircase at 12:30 p.m. yesterday. The group handed out T-shirts and encouraged passersby to stay to hear speeches and spoken-word poetry.

CAS junior Sondra Morishina, who is on the planning committee for Asian Heritage Month, drew parallels between modern sentiments toward Muslim-Americans and discrimination Asian-Americans have faced.

"All minorities, all immigrants, must stand together when we see injustice against another group," Morishina said.

Bronfman Center Rabbi Yehuda Sarna emphasized the importance of unity and solidarity within diverse communities such as NYU.

"You stand up not just for yourself, but for the rights of other people to have the same benefits as you do," he said.

Before closing the program with a moment of silence for the victims of the Fort Hood shooting, NYU Islamic Center Director and Chaplain Khalid Latif encouraged Muslim students to reflect on their faith and the way their projection of Islam affects others.

For Latif, forging deeper personal connections could be key to avoiding stereotyping.

"It's easier for me to hate you if I don't know your name," Latif said. "Relationships have to move past the superficial."

Arielle Milkman is assignment editor.