A) Ignore it. All of those pesky fliers are a blur at this point.

B) Steer clear of it and all to which it beckons you. Who knows what those crazy Moslems might be up to anyway?

C) Make a mental note of the info on the flier. Sounds kind of interesting. It might be nice to find out what Muslims actually believe and perchance even expand your horizons as an intelligent, socially conscious being.

I know that for most people, their reaction most closely conforms to option A, and hopefully, the minority of people’s reactions correspond to option B. What I’d like to see, at least beginning this year, is a greater number of people opting for C.

As a Muslim, in the aftermath of Sept. 11 I’ve learned exactly how dangerous ignorance can be. I’ve learned how people can brutishly and stupidly condemn the faiths, beliefs and cultures of others based on their own misconceptions. I’ve learned how even the people least informed on an issue sometimes feel the need to be the most vocal about it. I’ve learned how much ignorance can hurt, on an individual, societal and even global level.

Unfortunately, I’ve had to learn this all the hard way. I had never heard as many gross mischaracterizations of Islam as I did after Sept. 11. Whether it was in magazine or newspaper articles, on the radio, on television or when someone yelled something at me as I walked down the street, so many people were spouting so many things that were just plain wrong. I wondered countless times how people could be deluded, and the answer that came to me, to an extent, was quite simple.

Most people are ignorant because they merely don’t know any better. And the reason they don’t know any better is the fact that they don’t bother to find out. And sometimes when they do, there’s no one to teach them. In the case of Islam, it is the fault of Muslims for not adequately representing their faith, and it is also the fault of the apathetic person who does not seek to learn about others.

It’s a shame that it took a tragedy as immense as the one that occurred on Sept. 11 to incite people to learn more about Islam. It’s sad that the books about Islam that were untouched prior to that day went flying off of the shelves only afterwards. It’s a pity that what we witnessed on Sept. 11 was characterized by some as an inevitable clash between Islam and the West, as if the two are inherently opposing forces.

It is important, however, to recognize that many people did reach out lovingly to the Muslim community after Sept. 11, and how much interfaith dialogue occurred. But all of that should be only the beginning of a long-term plan to educate each other, in order to build a bond based not just on understanding, but also on love.

My hope is that you, Joe Q. Northwestern Student, will take advantage of Islam Awareness Week. Whether you are purely interested in learning about Islam as a faith, or whether you have specific questions you’d like to get answered (i.e. So, are all Moslems, like, related to Osama bin Laden?), we’re more than happy to provide you with the information that you need – whether it’s at a lecture or fireside, or at one of our info booths. And remember, as always, the Muslim-cultural Students Association provide free hot chocolate at the Rock.