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?”

