American-Muslim hosts events to dispel misconception about Islam
'Ask a Muslim anything' aims to address fears of non-Muslim Americans
Robert Azzi. PHOTO: WBUR
From 9/11 to US President Trump’s anti-Muslim election campaign, Muslims in America feel misunderstood and besieged by discrimination.
PEWS found hate crimes against Muslims to have rapidly increased in the US since 2016, seeing Islamophobia grow, Robert Azzi initiated “Ask a Muslim Anything” – a campaign designed to educate people about Islam by encouraging them to ask questions.
A Lebanese-American, Azzi has been organising a series of conversations that address people’s fears head on at community centres, churches and town halls across his hometown, New Hampshire.
Facebook assures purge of anti-Islamic content
In a recent meet in the southwestern part of the state, Dublin, the photojournalist greeted attendees with Islamic greeting: “Assalaam-u-alaikum” [peace be upon you].
"I challenge you to ask me challenging questions," Azzi told his audience. There’s no such thing as a stupid question."
When asked why so many people were afraid of Muslims, Azzi responded that “it’s really interesting to me about why people are fearful” as he traced the false impression against Muslims back to the 9/11 attacks. His argument also included ‘birthers’ who claimed President Obama was a Muslim. And the rhetoric, Azzi pointed out, had made it to the White House.
Speaking about what made him initiate the meets, Azzi recalled Trump’s presidential campaign. "He’s running for president by painting a crescent on my forehead and a target on my back," Azzi said. "And therefore, all Muslims must be foreign. All Muslims must be terrorists — and this is when I started getting the calls.”
With threatening calls came hate mail but Azzi is convinced that if people hear directly from American Muslims like him, the intolerance will fade away.
In another one of the events, a man asked “why don’t we hear more condemnation of terrorism in the name of Islam from the Muslim community?" To which Azzi responded with a “because you’re not listening.”
Highlighting condemnation of 9/11 by Muslims from Tehran to Istanbul to New York and more recently, condemning the Islamic State, Azzi said such news was often overlooked.
Anti-Muslim hate groups nearly triple in US since last year: report
"Muslims denouncing terrorism and violence didn’t fit the binary narrative that had taken hold in this country of us versus them," Azzi said. "You know, there’s this great prayer in the Muslim community that says: 'Please God, don’t let it be a Muslim.' I don’t think you share that prayer.”
"When you heard of Dylann Roof killing the worshipers in Mother Emanuel Church, I suspect there weren’t very many of you saying, 'please God, don’t let it be a Christian’," he added.
Speaking on how women were treated in some Muslim countries, Azzi said: "Do I condone the condition of women in most Muslim majority countries? Absolutely not.”
“I don't condone it. I think they live a terrible life, and they live under terrible conditions. [But] there is nothing in Islam that supports or embraces that kind of horror or terrorism."
He further argues that US has been complicit in propping some of the regime that oppress women in the Muslim world.
Tom Porter, a participant at an event in Harrisville, said such meets are essential. "And I like his approach. That he’s saying, ‘I’m not going to tell you all the good things about Islam; I’m going to answer your questions. I want to be in dialogue with you.' I consider him a soulmate,” said Porter, a lawyer, conflict mediator, Methodist minister and a teacher at Boston University.
Another participant, Janet Selle said “it’s really important to hear the other side, and not just radicalism or the fundamentalists that he talked about. It’s important to hear where the belief really stems from.”
While the past years have been tough for Muslims, Azzi said positive responses to the meets gives him hope. "It reinforces in me that these are really good people," Azzi says. "You know, the haters aren’t here. The haters don’t come out. This is a Muslim town hall. I’ve never used that line before, but that’s what it is.”
Where Azzi enjoys hosting "Ask a Muslim anything", he hope to see a day when such events will no longer be necessary.
This article originally appeared on the WBUR.
PEWS found hate crimes against Muslims to have rapidly increased in the US since 2016, seeing Islamophobia grow, Robert Azzi initiated “Ask a Muslim Anything” – a campaign designed to educate people about Islam by encouraging them to ask questions.
A Lebanese-American, Azzi has been organising a series of conversations that address people’s fears head on at community centres, churches and town halls across his hometown, New Hampshire.
Facebook assures purge of anti-Islamic content
In a recent meet in the southwestern part of the state, Dublin, the photojournalist greeted attendees with Islamic greeting: “Assalaam-u-alaikum” [peace be upon you].
"I challenge you to ask me challenging questions," Azzi told his audience. There’s no such thing as a stupid question."
When asked why so many people were afraid of Muslims, Azzi responded that “it’s really interesting to me about why people are fearful” as he traced the false impression against Muslims back to the 9/11 attacks. His argument also included ‘birthers’ who claimed President Obama was a Muslim. And the rhetoric, Azzi pointed out, had made it to the White House.
Speaking about what made him initiate the meets, Azzi recalled Trump’s presidential campaign. "He’s running for president by painting a crescent on my forehead and a target on my back," Azzi said. "And therefore, all Muslims must be foreign. All Muslims must be terrorists — and this is when I started getting the calls.”
With threatening calls came hate mail but Azzi is convinced that if people hear directly from American Muslims like him, the intolerance will fade away.
In another one of the events, a man asked “why don’t we hear more condemnation of terrorism in the name of Islam from the Muslim community?" To which Azzi responded with a “because you’re not listening.”
Highlighting condemnation of 9/11 by Muslims from Tehran to Istanbul to New York and more recently, condemning the Islamic State, Azzi said such news was often overlooked.
Anti-Muslim hate groups nearly triple in US since last year: report
"Muslims denouncing terrorism and violence didn’t fit the binary narrative that had taken hold in this country of us versus them," Azzi said. "You know, there’s this great prayer in the Muslim community that says: 'Please God, don’t let it be a Muslim.' I don’t think you share that prayer.”
"When you heard of Dylann Roof killing the worshipers in Mother Emanuel Church, I suspect there weren’t very many of you saying, 'please God, don’t let it be a Christian’," he added.
Speaking on how women were treated in some Muslim countries, Azzi said: "Do I condone the condition of women in most Muslim majority countries? Absolutely not.”
“I don't condone it. I think they live a terrible life, and they live under terrible conditions. [But] there is nothing in Islam that supports or embraces that kind of horror or terrorism."
He further argues that US has been complicit in propping some of the regime that oppress women in the Muslim world.
Tom Porter, a participant at an event in Harrisville, said such meets are essential. "And I like his approach. That he’s saying, ‘I’m not going to tell you all the good things about Islam; I’m going to answer your questions. I want to be in dialogue with you.' I consider him a soulmate,” said Porter, a lawyer, conflict mediator, Methodist minister and a teacher at Boston University.
Another participant, Janet Selle said “it’s really important to hear the other side, and not just radicalism or the fundamentalists that he talked about. It’s important to hear where the belief really stems from.”
While the past years have been tough for Muslims, Azzi said positive responses to the meets gives him hope. "It reinforces in me that these are really good people," Azzi says. "You know, the haters aren’t here. The haters don’t come out. This is a Muslim town hall. I’ve never used that line before, but that’s what it is.”
Where Azzi enjoys hosting "Ask a Muslim anything", he hope to see a day when such events will no longer be necessary.
This article originally appeared on the WBUR.