Rice should maintain support of diversity of beliefs and cultures

By Maha Aziz     2/4/14 6:00pm

Students may have seen us in the Fondren stacks praying. At first glance, it might look like we are reaching for a book, but then we get up again, and then back down again. Our colorful scarves swirl around in the ever-so-charming Houston wind, and our high-fived, "Salaams, bro," can be heard across the quad. Oftentimes, we can be found ducking into the cozy broom closet we affectionately call our prayer room. Chances are, almost every student has had contact with a Rice Muslim.

As a Muslim American, I have been the unfortunate butt of many jokes and religious profiling. Throughout my life in middle and high school, it seemed like the misconceptions about Islam and Muslims were neverending. Rice proved to be different. Many students, including Owais Syed, a sophomore at Baker College, say Rice is a campus where learning about other religions and cultures is an important aspect of student life. "Rice is quite diverse with the number of faiths and how people practice their religion," Syed said. "I think there is a great value in getting to know the different ways religion plays a role at Rice."

Although there seem to be many restrictions placed on Muslims, including not being allowed to drink, date, show too much skin, or eat pork, I never felt these were restrictions. Jones College senior Elias Kassir effectively sums up my feelings on the topic: "Any restrictions placed on me by Islam are restrictions that I agree to live by, so it isn't as if anything is forced on me. It isn't inconvenient because, when it's something you've been doing for years, it's just a natural part of your life."

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Everything a person does in life, for the most part, is his or her own choice, and it can become tiring to see people try to edify others' choices. Take hijab, the headscarf many Muslim women wear everyday, for instance. I do not wear hijab, but I fully respect my sisters who do. I know that hijab can seem like a sign of oppression, and many people believe that the women who wear it are forced to, but that is not the case. If you tell a woman who wears hijab to take off her hijab so that she can be freed, is that not forcing her? The meaning of hijab, as defined by BBC Religions, is the principle of modesty in Islam and includes behavior and dress for both men and women. Yes, both men and women. Men are not allowed to wear gold, silk, or the like, and they are also not allowed to show off their hotshot abs, even if they wanted to. 

Wiess College junior Doha Aboul-Fotouh began practicing hijab right before she started college to show her dedication to our religion. "I wear hijab for modesty," Aboul-Fotouh said. "For me, it means respect and ownership of my body, and I chose to wear hijab on my own. Hijab isn't just my scarf, which seems to be most symbolic, but about dress and demeanor as a whole. Rice students are willing to learn, and I welcome all questions about my hijab and Islam because I do not want them to only have the Internet and media as a source." This is what I like about Rice. People will respect me for my choice not to wear hijab but also respect Aboul-Fotouh equally for wearing it. 

Rice has a very understanding community, one that is really willing to learn about the different aspects of our beautiful religion, and I am wonderfully happy that I chose to spend my four years of school here. I do get questions about Islam or why I don't wear hijab, but I always welcome those questions. The students here are honest, and I am happy that people can put themselves out there like that, to discover something or learn about a different religion.

Baker sophomore Radina Khalid said, "Unfortunately, generalizations are made about many subgroups of people. However, Rice University's diversity provides a culture that teaches us to see individual personalities instead of races and colors." With all the generalizations made about Muslims and many other religions and cultures based on media portrayals and a few bad examples, I hope to set a peaceful and good example of a Muslim and representation of Islam. It may take a long time, but I hope students like those at Rice will cause change. I urge students to keep an open mind, as so many already do, and work on making the world a place where people are defined by their personal character rather than by stereotypes.

 

Maha Aziz is a Baker College freshman.

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