Islamophobia

CameronLevensonCruz,
ConnorFfrench,
JosephOBrien,
WilliamKellogg

April5,2016

1.INTRODUCTION:
AccordingtoarecentsurveybytheCouncilofAmericanIslamic
Relations,fourintenAmericansthinkthatMuslimsareviolentandextremethisbeliefis
strengthenedbythemainstreammediaasitportraysIslamasbeingradicalandintolerant.As
Islamquicklyspreadsintothewest,expellingthesestereotypesaboutthemuslimcommunityis
extremelyimportanttodecreasethehateinsideourcountry.Asmanyofthepeoplewhobelieve
andpreachthesestereotypeshavelittletonoknowledgeofIslam,theytendtoclassifyall
MuslimsbasedontheextremistswhoactinthenameofIslam.Asitiseasytoclassifyall
Muslimsasextremistsandviolent,itisimportanttonotfollowthesestereotypesandshow
peoplethetruthaboutMuslims.Todaymuslimsarediscriminatedagainstbecauseofthe
negativestereotypesthatarespreadagainstthem.Forexample,recentlyamuslimmanwas
escortedoffaplanebecausethepeoplearoundhimthoughthewasplanninganattack,whenin
realityhewasdoingmathatanivyleaguelevel.Asolutiontothisproblemistohavewhoeveris
spreadingthesefalseaccusationsmeetaMuslim,andseeforthemselvesthekindnatureof
Muslims,whichwewillexposethepublictoinourproject.Inourproposalwewilloutlinehow
ourprojectwillbecompletedfromourmotivationtothedeadlineswehavesetforourselves.As
ourworldbecomesmoreglobalized,itisimportantwespreadlove,nothateaboutthesepeople.

2.MOTIVATION:

Islamhasinfluencedthewesternworldsignificantlythroughoutitsoverone
thousandyearhistory.MuslimshavebeenarrivingintheU.S.sincethe1880sfromvarious
nations.CurrentlytheyarethethirdlargestreligiousgroupinAmerica,afterChristianityand
Judaism,withapproximately1%ofthepopulation,oraround3.3millionpeople,andthis
numberisprojectedtocontinuetorise.However,sincetheterroristattacksonSeptember11,
2001,alargesectionoftheAmericanpopulationisdistrustfulofMuslimstosaytheleast.Asa
directresult,aplannedMuslimcommunitycenterthatwasgoingtobebuiltinNewYorkCity
wascanceledaftermanycriticsdeemeditthegroundzeromosque,despiteitbeingneithera
mosquenoratgroundzero.Accordingtoa2010Galluppoll,Muslimsaresignificantlymore
likelytohaveexperiencedracialorreligiousdiscriminationinthepastyearthananyother
religiousgroups.EvenafewpresidentialcandidateshavecalledforthebarringofMuslimsfrom
enteringAmericaorpolicepatrolsofMuslimneighborhoods.RecentterroristattacksinParis
andBrusselshavehighlightedhownegativeAmericanopinionsareprimarilybasedonsecurity
threatsandnottheologicaldifferences.Onlyaround53%ofAmericansknowthatAllahis
simplytheArabicwordofGod(Pew
/
).Thisignoranceisnothingmorethanoneexampleofa
lackofknowledgeofasignificantAmericaspopulation.CurrentlyMuslimsareconsideredthe
thirdleastelectablepopulationaftersocialistsandatheistswitharoundhalfofpeoplesayingthey
wouldnotvoteforaMuslimevenifhewaswellqualifiedandfromtheirparty.

3.PROJECTSUMMARY:

Oursocialexperimentissupposedtorelatetopeopleofallfaiths,
asweshallaskthemabouttheirpersonaldealingswithreligiousdiscrimination.Byhosting
interviewswiththepeoplefromtheIslamicCenterandSeaportVillagewehopetodraw
parallelsfromMuslimsandnonMuslimsalike.Afterwehavecompletedthequestionnairewe
willpointoutthatthesearethekindofstrugglesthatMuslimscontinuouslyfallvictimto.
Furthermore,webelievethatpostingthisvideoonYouTubewillhaveabutterflyeffectthatwill
continuetosparkadialogueaboutMuslimstereotypesandhowthesemisconceptionshave
becomesoprevalentwithintodayssociety.WebelievethatYouTubeisaperfectplatformto
easilyandaccessiblyshowcaseavideotowardstheviewingpublic.Viewerswillhavetheoption
toclickthesharebutton,andforwardthisvideotoothersocialmediasites.Themorepeoplesee
thisvideo,themorelikelytheyaretoBreakfreeofsociety'snegativeconceptionsabout
Muslims,andinplace,welcomemoretolerableviewpointswithinourcommunities.Wewantto
promoteunderstanding.Hopefullythisvideowillshowthatweveallbeendiscriminatedagainst.
Itdoesntfeelgoodtohaveyourpersonalviewsattacked.ItswrongthatMuslimshavetogo
throughtheseconstantstrugglesofdiscrimination.Allreligionshavebeendiscriminatedagainst,
butgivenrecentevents,Islamhasdrawntremendoushatewithintodayssociety.Thisiswhyour
videoissopoignantinchangingpeoplesperceptions.ItsnotrightforMuslimstobeafraidof
showingtheirfaithinpublicortohavefearofadmittingtheyareMuslim.Numerousamountsof
peoplethroughouthistoryhaveflockedtotheU.S.forsafetyandreligioustolerance.That
shouldntbelostontodaysU.S.culture.Thisvideowillshowtheimportanceofmaintaining
religioustoleranceinAmerica.RejectingMuslimsfromenteringthiscountryislikerefusingall
incomingGermanimmigrantsjustbecausetheircountrywasaffiliatedwiththeNaziparty.
LivinginapostWorldWarIIera,onedoesnotassociateGermanswithNazis,andweshould
notassociateallfollowersofIslamasradicals.WhenISISiseradicatedandthereislesstension
intheMiddleEast,thissameeffectwillapplytoMuslims.Astimeshallhealallwounds,lets
moveforwardandbegintoheal.Therefore,theessenceofourprojectisthatweneedtoeducate
societynottospreadfear,buttolerance.Wehavetobeprogressiveandtakethefirstnecessary
stepstopromoteunderstanding.Thisvideowillhopefullybeourcontributiontowardschange.

4.PROJECTDETAILS:
Inordertogetsocietytobreakfreeofthesestereotypes,ourgroup
willbemakingavideothatshowspeopleintheprocessofbreakingfree.Wewillbestationedat
SeaportVillagewhilepeopleareoutandabout.Wearegoingtointerviewpeopleofallages,
racesandgenders.InourvideowewillhavearepresentativefromtheIslamicCenterofSan
DiegonamedTahaHassanetospeakinourvideoandexplainwhatIslamreallyisandthe
benefitsofthereligion.Inthisvideoandsocialexperiment,wewillbehopingtogetthe
attentionofalltypesofpeople.Byinterviewingdifferentages,races,genders,wehopetogather
asmuchdatafromsociety'sviewaspossible.Somethingthatmaybeanissueforusispeoplenot
wantingtobeeducatedandnotwantingtotaketimeoutoftheirday.Thisideaisuniquebecause

peoplearehavingtoanswerthesamequestionsawholereligionanswered,andthentryto
understandhowsocietyviewsandtreatsthatreligion.Someoftheissuesourgroupwillfaceis
tryingtohavepeoplecomeandtakepartinoursocialexperiment,ignorantpeoplewhowillnot
payattentiontothemuslimpeopleandwhattheyhavetosay.Althoughreachingouttothese
peoplemaybetoughsometimes,we'lljustbekindandunderstandingiftheydontwantto
participate.ThatisthemainreasonastowhywewanttogotoSeaportVillage,averypopular
touristsiteinSanDiego.Throughthisprojectwearegoingtochangethewaysocietyviewsa
religion.Attheendofourvideowewillhavepeopleholdupawhiteboardwithahashtagthat
says
#changesocietiesview
.Itwillbeeyeopeningforsocietytoseewhattheirpeershaveto
sayaboutareligion.

TahaHassane
Imam/DirectorofPublic/InterfaithRelations&YouthProgram
taha.hassane@icsd.org

Fromthisproject,wehopetoprovideeverydaypeoplejustaglimpseofwhatmuslims
havetodealwithquiteoften.Ourprojectwillachieveaneyeopeningexperienceforthosewe
interviewatSeaportVillage.Theywillgetachancetoseehowmuslimsfeelwitheveryday
people,justliketheonesweareinterviewing.Wewillbeusingacamera,iMovieanda
microphonetomakeourvideo.Joewillbeinterviewingthepeople,WillandJoewillbe
recordingtheinterviewandfinallyConnorandCameronwillbethevideoeditors.Thetimeand
datesofourprojectwillgoinascheduledorder.Ourgroupwillfollowthesedatestothebestof
ourabilitiesandwewillexecutetheprojectbasedonthefollowingdates.

April27Draftandcreateposters/ContactExpert
April28Draftandcreatequestionsforactors
April29Draftandcreatequestionsforactors
May17Interviewourexpert

May17GotorecordsocialexperimentatSeaportVillageandIslamicCenterofSan
Diego
May18May25Editourvideo

5.CONCLUSION:

Asweprogressasanationitisimportanttorecognizethereligiousliberties
ofallcitizensoftheworld.Althoughbeingaleaderintheworldstartswithfixingthecurrent
problemswehaveinournation.Equalityandfreedomisanidealournationisbasedoffofand
untileveryAmericancitizenistreatedthesameandasabletolivetheirliveswithout
discriminationourjobascitizensisnotdone.AsyoungAmericans,itisourdutytocontinueto
improveuponAmerica,andspeakupforthosewhohavenovoice.

WorksCited

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/30/theworldsmuslimsreligionpoliticssocietyreligionand
politics

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/08/afascinatinglookatthepoliticalviewsof
muslimamericans/242975/

Friedersdorf,Conor."AFascinatingLookatthePoliticalViewsofMuslimAmericans."
The
Atlantic
.AtlanticMediaCompany,3Aug.2011.Web.26Apr.2016.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2015/images/09/12/iranpoll.pdf

MuslimsWidelySeenAsFacingDiscrimination."PewForum.PewResearchCenter,9Sept.
2009.Web.21Apr.2016.

"Obama."
Obama
.CNN,13Sept.2015.Web.20Apr.2016.

"Statistics."
StopNow,ActNow:EndMuslimDiscrimination
.N.p.,n.d.Web.25Apr.2016

Wormald,Benjamin."Chapter2:ReligionandPolitics."
PewResearchCentersReligionPublic
LifeProjectRSS
.PewResearchCenter,2013.Web.26Apr.2016.