The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan in Color
12 — Wednesday, February 16, 2022
“ W ho ‘ b elon g s ’ i n col-
le g e , a nd who f e el s l i ke
t he y b elon g ? ”
Th i s i s a q uot e f r om
t he s yl l a bu s of WG S 258 :
B elon g i n g i n C ol le g e , a
cl a s s I de c ide d t o t a ke
a f t er
s c r ol l i n g
t h r ou g h
wh at
s e eme d
l i ke
hu n-
d r e d s of pa g e s on t he L S A
C ou r s e G u ide . I s t u m ble d
up on t h i s cou r s e a nd t he
t it le s t uc k out t o me — it
m i r r or e d a my r i a d of con-
ver s at ion s I ’ ve h a d w it h
my s el f a nd my f r iend s: D o
we r e a l l y b elon g ?
We s t er n
i n s t it ut ion s
c a n h ave t h at i mpa c t on
p e ople of color. A s a v i s -
i bl y Mu sl i m , A r a b wom a n ,
I of t en q ue s t ion t he ide -
a l i z at ion t h at I once f elt
t owa rd h ig her e duc at ion .
B ef or e com i n g t o t he Un i-
ver sit y
of
M ic h ig a n ,
I
r a r el y r e g a rde d i n s t it u-
t ion s w it h a c r it ic a l len s ;
I t o ok t hem f or wh at t he y
wer e a d ver t i s e d a s: pr e s -
t ig iou s , f u l l of opp or t u-
n it y, exc it i n g a nd d i ver s e .
A lt hou g h I wa s awa r e t h at
s t udent s f r om mor e pr i v i-
le g e d
ba c k g r ou nd s
h a d
g r e at er
a cce s s
t o
pr e -
col le g e opp or t u n it ie s a nd
r e s ou rce s t h a n I d id , I
h a d ye t t o f u l l y con ne c t
how t he s e ba r r ier s h ave
s y s t em ic a l l y
r e s t r ic t e d
s t udent s
f r om
Mu sl i m
a nd
A r a b
ba c k g r ou nd s
l i ke m i ne f r om at t end-
i n g i n s t it ut ion s of h ig her
e duc at ion . Howe ver, si nce
t he y
wer e
e s t a bl i she d ,
s uc h
i n s t it ut ion s
wer e
ne ver
c r e at e d
t o
s er ve
d i ver s e s t udent p opu l a -
t ion s .
I n t he Un it e d St at e s ,
h ig her e duc at ion wa s c r e -
at e d w it h t he i nt ent t o
s er ve a m ajor it y Ch r i s -
t i a n , wh it e , m a le m ajor -
it y p opu l at ion . For ne a rl y
t wo hu nd r e d ye a r s si nce
H a r v a rd ’s
f ou nd i n g
i n
163 6 ,
h ig her
e duc at ion
wou ld b e g u ide d by Ch r i s -
t i a n
ide a l s
a nd
v a lue s ,
t r a i n i n g men t o b e come
m i n i s t er s ,
l aw yer s
a nd
t e ac her s — on r a r e o cc a-
sion s on l y d id t he y s er ve
women . I n 18 39, t he f i r s t
col le g e f or women , We s -
le y a n C ol le g e , op ene d a nd
wa s f ou nde d on E v a n g el i-
c a l t he olo g ie s . O f cou r s e ,
Ch r i s t i a n it y wa s not t he
on l y w idel y f ol lowe d r el i-
g ion , a s ot her r el ig ion s
wer e w idel y pr a c t ice d i n
A mer ic a at t he t i me ; how-
e ver, we s e e t h at it h a s
h a d t he l a r g e s t i n f luence
on t he sh api n g of u n i-
ver sit y c u lt u r e a nd l i f e .
C u r r ent l y, t her e a r e s t i l l
m a ny
u n i ver sit ie s
t h at
pr a c t ice
Ch r i s t i a n
v a l-
ue s i n t hei r c u r r ic u lu m
a nd on c a mpu s ; howe ver,
m a ny publ ic i n s t it ut ion s
h ave s t r aye d away f r om
cl a i m i n g a n of f ic i a l r el i-
g ion , welcom i n g s t udent s
of
a l l
r el ig iou s
ba c k-
g r ou nd s
t o
t hei r
c a m-
pu s e s . A lt hou g h mo der n
h ig her
e duc at ion
i n s t i-
t ut ion s don’t out wa rd l y
d i s c r i m i n at e a g a i n s t r el i-
g iou s
d i ver sit y,
Mu sl i m
s t udent s r e cei ve t he shor t
end of t he s t ic k on t hei r
col le g e c a mpu s e s n at ion-
w ide . A t t he Un i ver sit y
of M ic h ig a n , t her e i s a
sm a l l Mu sl i m p opu l at ion ,
but it i s home t o t he f i r s t
Mu sl i m
St udent s
A s s o -
c i at ion
c h a p t er
i n
t he
Un it e d St at e s . A s a Mu s -
l i m
wom a n ,
I ’ ve
of t en
q ue s t ione d why t he Mu s -
l i m a nd A r a b p opu l at ion s
at M ic h ig a n a r e s o sm a l l
— a f t er a l l , M ic h ig a n i s
home t o t he c it y of D e a r -
b or n , wh ic h hou s e s t he
l a r g e s t Mu sl i m a nd A r a b
p opu l at ion i n t he Un it e d
St at e s . A t M ic h ig a n , a nd
m a ny ot her h ig her e du-
c at ion i n s t it ut ion s , a nt i-
Mu sl i m pr ejud ice i s not
a lway s bl at a nt but c a mou-
f l a g e s it s el f u nder a my r -
i a d of ex p er ience s t h at
bu i ld up on one a not her
t o c r e at e a s en s e of d i s -
b elon g i n g f or it s Mu sl i m
a nd A r a b s t udent s .
I n a p ol it ic a l s c ience
cl a s s I t o ok l a s t s eme s t er,
we ex a m i ne d t he le g a l it y
of D on a ld T r u mp ’s f i r s t
exe c ut i ve
order,
k now n
a s t he Mu sl i m Ba n . I n
t he f ol low i n g d i s c u s sion
s e c t ion , my G SI pr omp t-
e d a conver s at ion a b out
t he t r e at ment of “cer t a i n
g r oup s of p e ople ” a f t er
9/ 1 1 . I f ou nd t he way she
ph r a s e d
t h i s
s t r i k i n g
— why cou ld n’t she s ay
Mu sl i m s , a nd t ho s e p er -
cei ve d a s Mu sl i m , when it
wa s s o obv iou s t h at t h at
i s wh at she me a nt? The
d i s c u s sion wa s a ny t h i n g
but r i ve t i n g ; it wa s q u ie t ,
a nd t he r o om of pr e dom-
i n a nt l y
wh it e
s t udent s
s e eme d v i si bl y appr ehen-
si ve t o s p e a k up, b e com-
i n g c a lc u l at i n g w it h t hei r
word c hoice s . O ne s t udent
i n pa r t ic u l a r con s c iou s -
l y c ho s e t o b e at a r ou nd
t he bu sh , cl a i m i n g t h at
“ p e ople w it h … d i f f er ent
s ou nd i n g n a me s … wer e
t r e at e d
ba d l y.”
A t
t h i s
p oi nt , it f elt a s t hou g h
my ident it y wa s ja r r i n g
t o my wh it e p e er s ; a s t he
on l y Mu sl i m i n t he r o om ,
my ident it y wa s a s a l ient
pa r t of t he d i s c u s sion we
wer e h a v i n g . I f elt a pr e s -
s u r e t o el a b or at e on t he
t r e at ment of Mu sl i m s i n a
p o s t- 9/ 1 1 s o c ie t y. The i s o -
l at ion a lone pr e s s u r e d me
i nt o si lence f or t he r e s t of
t he p er io d .
Th i s i n s t a nce i s on l y
one of m a ny; a nt i-Mu s -
l i m
o cc u r a nce s
h ave
b e en r a mpa nt on M ic h i-
g a n’s c a mpu s f or ye a r s
now. I n 2 01 5 , t he Un i ver -
sit y u nder went s c r ut i ny
a f t er pl a n n i n g t o show
a s c r e en i n g of “A mer i-
c a n Sn ip er,” a f i l m t h at
depic t s a t r ig g er i n g a nd
h a r m f u l p ercep t ion of t he
I r a q Wa r a nd condone d
a nt i-M idd le
E a s t er n /
Nor t h A f r ic a n a nd Mu sl i m
rhe t or ic , at a U M i x e vent .
L at er i n 2 01 5 , a f t er t he
t r a g ic Ch a p el H i l l Sho ot-
i n g , s t udent s at t he Un i-
ver sit y or g a n i z e d a v ig i l
f or t he v ic t i m s a nd Mu s -
l i m s t udent s wer e s c a r e d
t h at
a
si m i l a r
t r a g e dy
cou ld o cc u r on t hei r c a m-
pu s . St udent s d i s c u s s e d
a r a n g e of a nt i-A r a b a nd
a nt i-Mu sl i m of f en s e s on
c a mpu s ,
r a n g i n g
f r om
c a s u a l
m ic r oa g g r e s sion s
t o a nt i-Pa le s t i n i a n s en-
t i ment at t he Un i ver sit y
le vel . I n 2 016 , “#St opI s -
l a m ” wa s c h a l ke d i n t he
D i a g . Fol low i n g t h i s i nc i-
dent ,
s t udent s
r e cei ve d
a
s t at ement
t h at
“con-
dem ne d ”
d i s c r i m i n at ion
f r om t he Un i ver sit y. O n
t h at s a me d ay, s t udent s
r e cei ve d a slow r e s p on s e
f r om t he D i v i sion of P ub -
l ic Sa f e t y a nd S e c u r it y
( DPS S), a nd s ome f elt hu r t
t h at t he y wer e t he one s
er a si n g t he c h a l k i n s t e a d
of
t he
a d m i n i s t r at ion .
The s e
ex p er ience s
a r e
not t he on l y a nt i-Mu sl i m
ex p er ience s t h at Mu sl i m
s t udent s h ave endu r e d on
U-M ’s c a mpu s . A lt hou g h
t he Un i ver sit y i s not a n
excep t ion ,
t he s e
ex a m-
ple s pr ov ide i n sig ht t o
t he ba r r ier s t h at Mu sl i m
s t udent s f a ce when f e el-
i n g a s en s e of b elon g i n g
at
pr e dom i n a nt l y
wh it e
i n s t it ut ion s .
E ven b e yond u n i ver si-
t ie s ,
a nt i-Mu sl i m
big-
ot r y r u n s r a mpa nt i n ou r
e ver yd ay l i ve s . E ven over
2 0 ye a r s a f t er 9/ 1 1 , Mu s -
l i m s cont i nue t o con s t a nt-
l y f ig ht a g a i n s t h a r m f u l
bi a s e s ,
def end i n g
t hei r
ident it y a g a i n s t a t r a g-
e dy t h at h a d not h i n g t o
do w it h t hem . Pol it ic i a n s
i n C on g r e s s sp ew a nt i-
Mu sl i m rhe t or ic a b out t he
on l y t wo Mu sl i m women
i n
C on g r e s s ,
t a r g e t i n g
h a r m f u l
r em a rk s
a b out
not on l y t hem but Mu s -
l i m s a c r o s s t he n at ion .
The v iolence t h at s t em s
f r om t he s e i nc ident s , a nd
ot her s l i ke t hem , i s f ou nd
s t r uc t u r a l l y a nd r epl ic at-
e d i n v a r iou s e conom ic ,
p ol it ic a l a nd s o c i a l i n s t i-
t ut ion s a c r o s s t he cou n-
t r y.
I n my ow n com mu n it y
of D e a r b or n Heig ht s , M I ,
I ne ver f elt i s ol at e d due
t o my r el ig iou s or e t h n ic
ident it y si nce mo s t p e ople
lo oke d l i ke me a nd pr a c-
t ice d t he s a me f a it h a s
me . Now, ent er i n g my s e c-
ond ye a r of col le g e , I f i nd
my s el f con s t a nt l y f e el i n g
i s ol at e d . I a m p er p e t u a l-
l y t he on l y h ija bi i n mo s t
of
my
cou r s e s ,
s t udent
or g a n i z at ion s a nd s o c i a l
g r oup s , wh ic h wa s u ncom -
mon i n my pr e dom i n a nt l y
Mu sl i m , A r a b com mu n it y
bac k home . I n h ig her e du-
c at ion , we s e e how l a r g er
s y s t em ic ba r r ier s r e s t r ic t
s p e c i f ic
com mu n it ie s
f r om r e cei v i n g a com f or t-
a ble e duc at ion ex p er ience
i n col le g e s a nd u n i ver si-
t ie s a c r o s s t he cou nt r y.
B ef or e at t end i n g col le g e ,
I v ie we d it a s a mut u-
a l l y b enef ic i a l s pa ce f or
a l l it s s t udent s . Thou g h
I a m s t i l l pa r t ic ipat i n g
i n WG S 258 : B elon g i n g i n
C ol le g e , I h ave si nce b e en
mor e awa r e of how h ig her
e duc at ion
ac t i vel y
con-
s t r uc t s ba r r ier s a g a i n s t
t ho s e who don’t f it t he
demo g r a ph ic
t h at
t he y
h ave b e en f ou nd at ion a l l y
bu i lt t o s er ve . O n col le g e
c a mpu s e s a c r o s s A mer ic a ,
Mu sl i m a nd A r a b s t udent s
a r e s t uc k i n a p er p e t u-
a l
c ycle
of
pa r t ic ipat-
i n g i n a s y s t em t h at wa s
ne ver bu i lt t o r epr e s ent
t hem , wh i le a c t i vel y t r y-
i n g t o f ig ht t he ob s t a cle s
put i n pl a ce by s a id s y s -
t em . W h i le h ig her e du-
c at ion h a s b e come mor e
r el ig iou sl y
a nd
r a c i a l l y
d i ver s e ,
it
s t i l l
r a i s e s
t he q ue s t ion : D o I re a lly
b elo n g ?
On belonging in college: observations of a Muslim woman
Design by Reid Graham
YASMINE ELKHARSSA
MiC Columnist
“Who ‘belongs’ in college,
and who feels like they
belong?”
“I found the way she phrased this
striking — why couldn’t she say
Muslims, and those perceived as
Muslim, when it was so obvious
that that is what she meant? ”
“Currently, there are still
many universities that
practice Christian values
in their curriculum and on
campus; however, many public
institutions have strayed away
welcoming students of all
religious backgrounds to their
campuses. ”
“Although the University is not
an exception, these examples
provide insight to the barriers
that Muslim students face when
feeling a sense of belonging
at predominantly white
institutions.”
“While higher education has
become more religiously and
racially diverse, it still raises the
question: Do I really belong?”