Forum to answer Islam questions

Organizers hope a forum tonight will help clear up common misconceptions about Islam by bringing together Muslims, non-Muslims and religious experts.\nTonight's forum, "Islam and America," comes in response to last week's terrorist attacks on American targets. The event, sponsored by the religious studies department, will be at 7 p.m. in Ballentine Hall Room 228.\nEvent organizers invite people from the campus and Bloomington to attend the event in order to come together and discuss the tragedy in a safe environment.\nThe event will be valuable for everyone, said Caroline Dowd-Higgins, an academic adviser in the Department of Religious Studies and the department's lectures facilitator.\n"It is our hope that people will come together and discuss these pertinent issues in an open forum free of rancor and hostility," Dowd-Higgins said. "Tuesday's tragedy has left us all with many unanswered questions. We at least hope to answer some of these questions in regard to Islam."\nSpeakers at the forum will discuss their views of Muslim life and the impact of the tragedy on their lives, Dowd-Higgins said.\nKevin Jaques, an assistant professor of religious studies and a specialist on Islam, will serve as the discussion's moderator.\n"Our Muslim speakers will talk about how it has affected them both as Muslims and Americans, too," Dowd-Higgins said. "We are not publishing their names in advance to protect them from any possible harassment."\nNurakmal Yunos, a Muslim-Malaysian taking classes at IU, was forcefully slapped on her back last week by a white man and verbally harassed after greeting a friend in Arabic. Other accounts of verbal harassment and physical assault have also been reported.\n"Many Muslims have been targets of harassment since last week's events, and we want to explore why this is happening and what we can do as a community to stop this," Dowd-Higgins said.\nAlthough some Bloomington Muslims have been harassed, Dowd-Higgins said she is relieved to see that most of the community embraces them.\n"I believe the Bloomington and University community has truly come together in support of the victims of this tragedy," Dowd-Higgins said. "In a sense, we are all victims. There is much more healing to be done and certainly a continued need for awareness and support for all citizens of this nation."\nRohany Nayan, a Muslim who lives on campus, has also felt the strength of the community during this time of need. She and her husband, Michael Thomas, have gotten numerous phone calls, e-mails and visits from people who want to help.\n"The support we have gotten has been incredible," Nayan said. \nNayan said she is excited to go to a forum that encourages friendly dialogue.\n"It's so good to be with neighbors and come together to overcome this tragedy," Nayan said. "We have to stand together. Otherwise, the terrorists win."\nOther organizations also plan to attend the meeting.\n"We are strongly encouraging everyone to go to the forum if they possibly can," said graduate student Amer Ahmed, public relations officer for the Muslim Student Union.