Two students, an alumna and an expert on the Muslim world were invited to lead conversations about “The Many Faces of Islam” for The Spence School’s 2017 Head’s Forum, which annually invites faculty, juniors and seniors and their parents to listen, participate and ask questions on an intellectually stimulating topic.

To view photos from the event, click here. 

 

This year’s guest speaker was John Esposito, Ph.D., a professor of religion and international affairs and of Islamic studies at Georgetown University and editor-in-chief of The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World and Oxford Islamic Studies Online. Leading up to the evening Head’s Forum program, Esposito took the opportunity to attend classes, host an open forum lunch for students and a small-group meeting with teachers. Speaking to 260 parents, students and faculty and staff, Sumya Akkas ’15, Sarah H. ’19 and Omema I. ’18 began the Head’s Forum program with personal reflections on Muslim identity.  

 

Akkas, who grew up in a Muslim-Bangladeshi household in Brooklyn, said that Islam has meant different things for her over the course of her life. As a child, she identified with Islam culturally; she watched her family fast for a month each year and would follow their steps for ablutions. “As I grew older, Islam became increasingly a part of my understanding of my values and my lifestyle,” she said. She spoke about egalitarianism, charity and kindness as principles she wanted to lead her life by. “My experiences being Muslim and American have forced me to understand my identity as an entirely political one,” she shared. At Spence, Akkas said she remembered her experience as a Muslim student to be full of questions and assumptions about her life. Now, at Columbia University, Akkas has carried with her these experiences and passion and is currently studying International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies.

 

“I cannot walk into a room and not wonder how many Muslims are sitting in the room with me,” Akkas said. “I can, however, be 100 percent comfortable identifying as Muslim knowing that I do not have to sacrifice or hide my values.”

 

Sarah talked about her “untainted Muslim experience” as a child, often visiting Morocco where her family is from, and growing up listening to Muslim bedtime stories from her parents. In the seventh grade, Sarah transferred to Spence, and in history class, she learned about different medieval cultures and empires, such as the Ottoman Empire and medieval Islam. She said it felt good to finally be represented in history class, but socially, it posed some issues.

 

“Muslim girls should not be limited to stereotypes,” Sarah said. “They should not be used as a token to people who feel ignorance toward Islam. I want my presence and my story at Spence to spark a new wave of change in the community where students of different and underrepresented religions and backgrounds do not have to prove themselves to their peers. Validity in one’s own identity is so crucial to every one of us, so let’s work as a community to build our knowledge on both the history of Islam and the experiences of Muslims outside of our community.” 

 

Omema, who transferred to Spence this year, talked about growing up in Yemen until 2015, when war broke out. She moved to Somaliland and for the first time encountered non-Muslim people at the Abaarso School of Science and Technology with her teachers. As she prepared to spend her senior year at Spence, Omema ruminated over the idea of first impressions and how she was going to represent herself and Islam here. For her, Islam has been a part of her identity and has helped keep her grounded; it inspires her to be her best self.

 

“Every time Islam is being related to oppression or terrorism, a brick is built into the wall between myself and those who are not familiar with my religion,” Omema said. “I feel like it’s my job to fight and destroy this wall and to unite the people.”

 

She also gave credit to her parents who made sure that she received a good education. Her father, whom she described as a religious man who has fought for women’s rights to education, encouraged her to come to Spence. And her mother worked extra shifts so that she could attend private school.

 

“When I think of a Muslim woman, I think of my mother,” Omema said. “I think of everything she sacrificed for us—me and my brother. I hope one day I can achieve the level of compassion and selflessness she had.”

 

Esposito talked about the “many faces of Islam” in terms of the diversity of Muslims culturally and politically. In discussing contrasting perceptions, he cited a Gallup poll of 35 predominantly Muslim countries that demonstrated that, largely, Muslims admired the West’s education, economy, freedom and democracy and disliked its tendency to look down upon Islam or Muslims in its society. Esposito posited that the media and the way the country handles war in Muslim countries were two factors that contributed to these negative perceptions. Esposito also cited a Media Tenor report that found that the media has grown increasingly focused on extremism over the years, with little coverage of anything neutral or positive related to Islam. He suggested more pluralism within the United States as a way to foster more unity.

 

“Pluralism means accepting differences, and it means understanding others—not agreeing with others all the time—but it means accepting diversity,” Esposito said. “It means understanding and respecting the ‘other’ in our society.”

 

In the Q&A portion of the evening, moderated by Academic Dean Doug Brophy, students and parents asked questions of the four-person panel ranging from how to address the media coverage disparity, to recent events in Saudi Arabia, to how to approach questions about Islam.

 

In response to a question about incorporating more information about Islam in the academic setting, Sarah said it was crucial to integrate people’s identities into curricula to “make the space for other voices to be heard.” Omema pointed out that while Islam is sometimes talked about in historical or political spheres, the Middle East’s contributions to other areas, such as science, are often overlooked. Akkas noted that Middle Eastern history places a large role in United States history and vice versa, and it is helpful to talk about that relationship and to look closely at the vocabulary we use.

 

Esposito made the distinction between “teaching religion” and “teaching about religion” in schools and noted that Islam could be incorporated more into world history and world religion courses.

 

“We live in a world that is truly globalized and interdependent,” Esposito said. “If you want to study people or religions, you need to see them within the world and world context. It’s that kind of integration that is very important.”

 

Head of School Bodie Brizendine thanked the panel for their heart, candor and time.

 

“If there’s one message that we heard tonight, it’s keep talking,” she said.