The Muslim Students Association, the Muslim-Jewish Volunteer Initiative and the Lubar Institute for the Study of Abrahamic Religions will co-sponsor an event Friday to examine and discuss the way Islam is viewed in America.
The event, entitled “Understanding Islamophobia,” will feature five speakers from UW-Madison and around the nation who will discuss how Islam is depicted in American media and how it is treated in politics. The forum will also include performances by First Wave and a Q&A session for attendees.
Siddique Akram, president of the Muslim Student Association, said an increase in charged incidents, including the recent Newsweek cover with the headline, “Muslim Rage,” and “Innocence of Muslims,” an anti-Muslim movie trailer on YouTube that sparked protests, has made this forum necessary and relevant.
Akram said he hopes this forum will increase understanding of Muslim students so that they can be seen as “everyday Americans.”
The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. in Varsity Hall in Union South.
