With media perceptions of Islam ranging from incendiary to offensive, many UW-Madison Muslim students said they are concerned with the assumptions made about them.
Radin Zaid Radin Umar, UW-Madison junior and president of the Malaysian Muslim Student Association, said he personally has not felt any discrimination while he has attended the University.
However, Karima Berkani, a UW-Madison senior and president of the Arab Student Organization, said there are a number of racial incidents involving Muslims and non-Muslims because they look like Arabs.
'It is frustrating,' Berkani said, 'because you are powerless.'
Mohammed Abed, UW-Madison associate lecturer in philosophy, said he felt that this echoes a general trend around the country caused by the media.
'The general climate is pretty hostile toward Muslims,' Abed said. 'You feel you are constantly under attack.'
However, he said he felt there were good people who recognized Muslims' concerns even if others did not.
When media outlets reprinted the Danish cartoons that showed violent depictions of Muhammad, it greatly affected the Muslim community.
'All of us feel disturbed,' Umar said, describing the feelings of discontent they created among the Muslim community.
Berkani said she thought media coverage focused on violence in response to the cartoons creates a misleading image of the Islamic world.
'The media is covering sensational reaction,' Berkani said, 'and people only know what they are shown.'
The cartoons seem to have created a division on campus between a variety of different groups.
'I felt it was driving a wedge between the Arab and Muslim community and the rest of campus,' Berkani said.
'I don't agree with the Muslim students who say the cartoon shouldn't be published,' Abed said. 'Damage to a religious group is not sufficient grounds for not publishing the cartoons.'
Abed criticized the way that Islam is seen in this country. 'There is a lot of misinformation presented about the religion,' Abed said. 'They don't understand the main ideas, and yet [the media presents] broad generalizations for what the religion means.'
Umar said he feels that many of the problems on campus could be solved with greater knowledge of Islam.
'Islam is a world religion,' Umar said. 'They should at least know what Islam teaches. We think it is important for people to know that Islam is a religion about respect for each other.'
