Muslim students plan to educate public
The Muslim Student Association hosts
a series of discussions and lectures
throughout the month to dispel myths
By Moriah Baling
News Reporter
Being a Muslim on campus has never been too
difficult for senior business major Nadia Hasan,
especially considering the University's continuing
support of Muslim students.
Nonetheless, Hasan said there are still a number
of stereotypes and misconceptions associated with
Islam.
"Stereotypes dominate people's minds be
cause they don't know any better," she said,
adding that this can make things especially hard
for the estimated 40 to 50 Muslim students
on campus.
The Muslim Student Association hopes to cor
rect some of these myths and misunderstandings
through its "Islam in America" series. The event
will include a number of lectures, panel discus
sions and a cultural event and is intended to "edu
cate the community about different issues in Is
lam," Hasan said.
The event started Friday with a panel discussion
titled "Growing up Muslim." The panelists includ
ed four students from Iraq, Malaysia, Indonesia
and Turkey. The discussion was well-attended,
Hasan said.
"I was trying to give people a perspective on
what it means to be Muslim and what it entails,"
Hasan said before the event.
The next event, to be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. at
the Wesley Foundation Center, will be a panel
discussion titled "Christ in Islam and Christiani
ty. " The panel includes Tamam Adi, director of the
Islamic Cultural Center in Eugene; Daniel Bryant,
senior minister at First Christian Church; and Tim
othy Gianotti, a University religious studies pro
fessor. Minister Jeremy Hajdu-Paulen of the Wes
ley Foundation will moderate.
Talal al-Rahbi, a University graduate student
from Oman and a MSA member, helped organize
the event. He said he was inspired after an organ
ized discussion at Northwest Christian College
about the movie "The Passion of the Christ."
"From the discussion I realized that a lot of Chris
tians do not know the importance of Christ in Islam
and that Muslims believe in Christ," al-Rahbi said.
"The intent is not a debate but more giving under
standing to Jesus' message of peace and the impor
tance of his teachings in both religions."
Adi said that the misunderstanding goes even
further.
"We often hear in the media something like
Muslims consider Christians infidels ... we don't
consider them infidels, we consider them believ
ers," he said. "The other misconception is that
we worship a different god ... but Allah just
means God."
Wednesday's event, a lecture entitled "Women
and Human Rights in Islam," will take place at 6
p.m. at 142 Knight Law Center. Nadira Najieb, a
community activist from Portland, will lecture
along with Anita Weiss, a University international
studies professor.
"There is a stereotype that women in Islam are
oppressed," Hasan said, adding that this is fre
quently a cultural tenet. "But Islam the religion
does not advocate oppressing women."
The final event in the series is titled "Muslim
"From the discussion I realized
that a lot of Christians do not
know the importance of Christ
in Islam and that Muslims
believe in Christ."
Talal ai-Rahbi
University graduate student
Night: A Glimpse of Culture," and will take place
April 27 in the Knight Library Browsing Room at 7
p.m.
Mona al-Zubair, a graduate student at the Uni
versity, helped organize the event. She said the
event will include food and music with an Asian
and Middle Eastern flair. There will also be a cul
tural display with a collage of various cultural
items from around the Islamic world. Al-Zubair
will have small mgs and Arabic calligraphy on dis
play from her native Saudi Arabia.
"Each (member) has something from their
home," she said. "It kind of represents their cul
ture."
Al-Zubair added that one of the purposes of the
event is to show the diversity of the Islamic world.
"It shows the diversity of our background be
cause we come from different countries," she said.
"It's not just for the students. It's for us to leam
about each other and how our cultures are differ
ent."
Contact the people/cultu re/fa rth reporter
at moriahbalingit@dailyemerald.com.
NEWS BRIEF
Emerald named
best student paper
in five-state region
The Oregon Daily Emerald was
named the best all-around daily stu
dent newspaper in a five-state region
by the Society of Professional Journal
ists. The annual contest is open to all
student newspapers in Alaska, Idaho,
Montana, Oregon and Washington.
Emerald staff members also re
ceived awards for their published
collegiate work from the 2003 calen
dar year.
Senior News Reporter Jared Paben
received a first-place award in the gen
eral news reporting category. Colum
nist Peter Hockaday received a sec
ond-place award in the sports column
writing category. Editor in Chief Brad
Schmidt received a second-place
award in the category of in-depth re
porting. University graduate Adam
Jude received a second-place award in
the sports writing category. Photogra
pher Adam Amato received a second
place award for spot news photogra
phy and a third-place award in the
photo illustration category. Universi
ty student Mark McCambridge also
received a second-place award in the
sports photography category.
First-place award winners from
each of the 12 regions will move on to
compete in the national contest,
which will be held Sept. 9 through 11
in New York City.
GIFTS
continued from page 1
president of the University Founda
tion, which manages private gifts giv
en to the University.
According to the release, graduates
of Oregon high schools in areas
where former building materials and
paper products company Willamette
Industries operated will receive pref
erence for those scholarships.
"Oregon's past includes a heritage
in natural resources, but its future is in
the knowledge economy, so we need
educated citizens," Swindells said in
r
the release.
Freshman Babak Ghafarzade re
ceived a Presidential Scholarship from
the Swindells trust, which he said
gives him the time to explore various
subjects and classes because he does
n't have to work to put himself
through school.
"I'm trying to kind of get my feet
wet wherever I can," he said, adding
that he can also continue to partici
pate in extracurricular activities as he
did in high school. "It just gives you
time and freedom to do other things."
He added that with one brother in
college and another on the way, the
money will help take the financial
burden off his family.
In addition to the gift from the
Swindells trust, five donors gave
$8.45 million toward Presidential
Scholarships, and three donors con
tributed $925,000 toward Dean's
Scholarships. Eight donors also gave
$2.6 million to support specific Uni
versity schools and college scholar
ships, according to the release.
Freshman Dana Harlan, who also
received a Presidential Scholarship,
said the money her parents had saved
for her college fund can now go to
ward graduate school.
Harlan, who achieved junior status
by taking college credit courses in
high school, said the funds have giv
en her the time to develop more
meaningful relationships with other
students now that she doesn't need to
keep a job throughout college.
"I've been able to make a lot more
friends," she said. "I just feel like I
have more time to do more self
growth type of things."
The University currently awards
about 200 Presidential Scholarships a
year at about $5,400 each, and about
3,400 students receive the Dean's
Scholarships, which vary from $500
ODDBALLS ARE NOT ALWAYS
A BAD THING!
It's spring again! This means we need to
clear out our odds and ends to make way
for our fabulous new collections.
SALE
April 1 9 - May 1
30% to 70% off
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to $5,000, Director of Admissions
Martha Pitts said. Scholarship money
comes either directly from actual
funds or from fee remissions, she
added.
The $12 million will be placed in
endowments where it will accrue in
terest that will continuously fund
scholarships, she said.
'"This will affect students for many,
many years," she said, adding that it is
important to maintain and protect
the endowments to ensure students
always have access to scholarship
funds.
The donations count toward the
University's Campaign Oregon:
Transforming Lives initiative, which
has an overall goal of raising $600
million to support students, faculty,
programs and facilities, according to
the release. Ihe campaign will formal
ly kick off next year when directors
will announce its progress.
Campaign Oregon Vice Chairman
Tim Boyle, who is also chief executive
officer of Columbia Sportswear Co.,
noted the importance of college grad
uates to Oregon's economic health.
"In the next few decades, new and
existing businesses will need thou
sands of college-educated employ
ees, " Boyle said in the release, adding
that it is up to universities to provide
graduates to support and draw in
businesses. "This is critical for Ore
gon's future prosperity."
Contact the higher education/
student life/student affairs reporter
at chelseaduncan@dailyemerald.com.
CAMPUS
BUZZ
Monday
Art exhibit featuring work by Percy Appau, Steve
Baggs, Eric Layton and Morgen Masciana, Bache
lor of Fine Arts multimedia: Karen Larsen, BFA
metals: and Michael Tolar, BFA painting, LaVerne
Krause Gallery, Lawrence Hall, Monday-Thursday,
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Opening reception 65 p.m. Jere
miah Lecture entitled “Ethnicity, Violence and the
State in Pakistan," Browsing Room, Knight Li
brary, 4 p.m.
Student Groups
Advertise in the Oregon Daily Emerald.
Call 346-3712 to speak with a sales rep.
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