26 February 2008
Students from Muslim-Majority Countries Discuss Islam in America
U.S.-sponsored Global Connections program makes the exchange possible
Washington -- During a recent Ask America webchat on Islam in the United States, hosted by America.gov, a number of questions came from high school students in the West Bank, Afghanistan and Tajikistan involved in Internet learning programs made possible by the U.S. State Department’s Global Connections and Exchange Program (GCE).
GCE is a program of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which helps secondary school teachers and students in countries with predominantly Muslim populations establish Internet connections and develop Internet-based curricula to join the global Internet community.
Through collaborative online projects and in-person exchanges, students and teachers abroad build mutual cultural understanding and lasting relationships with their American peers, and also engage in community development activities inspired by their online activities.
In Afghanistan, English clubs founded by the GCE program in Kabul, Jalalabad and, most recently, Taloqan, are working to improve the English language skills of Afghans of all ages and backgrounds.
The student-led GCE English clubs, which receive technical support from GCE implementing partner Relief International - Schools Online (RI-SOL), meet three times a week and rely on volunteer high school students and graduates, including a student enrolled in Nangarhar University’s English literature program and former GCE exchange students Samsoor R. and Shukria R., who visited the United States in the summer of 2007.
In the West Bank, one of RI-SOL’s student clubs in the Hebron Community-Based Learning and Action Center (CBLAC) has been paired with People to People International’s Fort Worth Country Student Chapter, a highly active student club from Texas. This pairing of the two student clubs, which was formalized recently, has been facilitated by People to People International, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing cross-cultural communication, after other successful partnerships with RI-SOL.
The Fort Worth chapter indicates it wants its students to “learn more about Middle Eastern culture, forge friendships, and gain knowledge about cultures in general that we can spread to other students.” The two chapters have begun their interaction by studying each other’s countries and next will be discussing what collaborative projects they can initiate.
Young Palestinians from the West Bank also are using a program implemented by RI-SOL to produce video materials for Arabic-learning American high school students in Utah and other locations. (See "Arabic Language Project Connects Palestinian, U.S. Teens.")
In Tajikistan, the Global Connections and Exchange Program has established 24 Internet learning centers (ILCs) in secondary schools across the country. As in other countries, the program’s main goal is to increase global dialogue and educational opportunities by installing modern computer equipment with Internet access in schools, as well as developing training and learning projects for teachers and students.
Muslim students from all three countries used their English language and Internet skills to post questions during the Ask America program, “On Common Ground -- Islam and America.”
The discussion featured Courtney Erwin, director of programs and chief of staff to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf at the Cordoba Initiative in New York, currently studying Shariah law in Morocco. The initiative, founded in 2002, is a multifaith effort “to heal the relationship between the Islamic world and America,” according to its Web site.
Many students, like Nazmi Naffa from Jenin, expressed their fear that Americans view Islam negatively and stressed how their faith stands for peace. Others asked if Muslims in America have easy access to mosques or participate in Eid celebrations, while from Jalalabad, Afghanistan, a student asked how Islam was treated by other faiths in America.
A student from Jenin asked whether Muslims living in America enjoy equal rights, or whether they face discrimination.
Erwin answered that, in theory, every U.S. citizen is guaranteed equal rights by the Constitution, although, in practice, Muslims have experienced some discrimination.
“I do think, however, that they have opportunities to challenge that discrimination legally. The more difficult situation is challenging the prejudices that exist in the minds of individuals, which are usually responses to fear and insecurity. Therefore, the best way to combat prejudice is to get to know each other and also show and prove that Muslims are a part of the fabric of American society,” Erwin said.
He said there are many mosques in the United States, and Muslims often can check online for prayer times in their respective locations.
The students were very happy for the opportunity provided by the chat. Mohammed Al Khatib, a student from Hebron, felt that the issues raised could be resolved “because it’s just a matter of communicating with each other.”
Ahmad, also from Hebron, said he gained the impression that Muslims in America have a good life and participate in democracy, “We hope to deliver good image about Islam through our sharing and discussions with American people,” he said.
A transcript of the webchat is available on America.gov.
