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WEDNESDAY
FEBRUARY B, 2D17
I
IT IS OUR DUTY AS HUMAN BEINGS TO
STAND UP AGAINSTTHESE ACTS OF
NJUSTICS AND BIGOTED RHETORIC,
AETHOUGHTHEPASTTWO WEEKS HAVE
BEENDIFFICUETJFEEETHEYHAVEMADEME
MORE PROUD TO BE AN ARABIC, MUSEIM
SUAD IBRAHIM
GLOBAL SOLIDARITY MARCH ORGANIZER
humanized those touched by this
circumstance. Sophie Zinn, Class
of 2019 vice president, studied
abroad in India during Winter
Term, a country whose second
largest religion is Muslim. Spend
ing three weeks immersed in the
culture broadened Zinn’s perspec
tive, and she said Muslims desire a
sense of inclusion.
“The religion is very beautiful
and they feel really silenced,” Zinn
. said. “They want to feel like they
can have someone to talk to.”
Kenneth Brown Jr., Class of
2019 president, expressed a sim
ilar viewpoint. In a speech that
garnered applause. Brown said
it is imperative for others who
aren’t as afflicted to rally behind
. those who are. Only then, he said,
would Muslims feel like they have
a place in society.
“America is a concept, its an
idea that is always changing and
S sometimes people just need to
learn how to adapt to the chang-
ing times,” Brown said. “We have
, to not be scared of stepping out
side first of ourselves and stepping
outside of our bubbles. Nut we
also have to realize that the thing
that you’re supporting reflects
more things than you.”
That same mentality — feel
ings of linking together for others
— radiated Feb. 6 when the Elon
community congregated for Glob
al Solidarity March. When senior
Suad Ibrahim planned the event,
it was to cultivate momentum
for her Muslim peers. Originally
from Kuwait, Ibrahim pondered
how Trump expresses “such little
regard for other human beings.”
When Trump issued his ban,
she said her mother advised her
to shun her faith in public. Her
grandmother, who is Sudanese
wanted to surprise Ibrahim for
graduation. Trump’s ban drasti
cally altered those plans. In her
Elon career, she said she and oth
er Muslims weren’t assertive.
Now, she took a different
approach.
“I should not fear to be who I
am ... but that is the reality that
I am facing every day right now,”
Ibrahim said in her speech before
the march. “What happened to
love, equality, fairness and the val
ues of humanity? It is our duty as
human beings to stand up against
these acts of injustice and bigoted
rhetoric. Although the past two
weeks have been difficult, I feel
they have made me more proud
to be an Arabic, Muslim woman.”
Around 100 people attended
the march, which was preceded by
student and faculty speakers. In
her speech, Shereen Elgamal, lec
turer in Arabic in the Department
of World Languages and Cultures,
emphatically denounced Trump.
Wearing her hijab, the Egypt na
tive proudly said she is unafraid.
She said that America is not de
fined by the actions of one man
and the country can overcome
anything Trump might do.
“Politicians come and go, but
we will stay,” Elgamal said. “Take
your term, leave, and we will con
tinue to do what we are going to
do. Thank you, Mr. President, for
bringing us all together. We have
I THINK THAT GOD
WANTS US TO EOVEOUR
NEIGHBORS-ALE OF
OUR NEIGHBORS-AND
THIS HATE STEMMING
FROM THIS POLITICAL
RHETORIC IS NOT LOVE.
KRISTINA MAYER
HIJAB DAY ORGANIZER
4
5
6
OIEGO PINEDA I Photo Editor
Surya Shahi and Suad
Ibrahim give a speech
before tbe Global
Solidarity March Feb. 6.
DIEGO PINEDA I Photo Editor
Joel Harter and Imam
Shane Atkinson speak
at the Global Solidarity
March Feb. 6.
OIEGO PINEDA i Photo Editor
Freshmen Emily Ford
and Lucia Craige hold a
sign during the Global
Solidarity March.
nothing to apologize for. We are
good people. Thank you for high
lighting to us how important it is
to recognize our differences.”
A wide range of students and
faculty attended the march. Pres
ent senior level staff included
Associate Provost for Inclusive
Community Brooke Barnett, Pro
vost and Executive Vice President
Steven House and Associate Vice
President for Campus Engage
ment Randy Williams. Similar to
the Black Lives Matter march in
September, Williams said when
a certain sect of the community
feels demonized, the universi
ty will deliberately and willingly
show support.
“Relationships are important
here and if members of the Elon
community are being afflicted in
some way, the senior staff of the
university will show out and sup
port,” Williams said. “While we
want to offer a great education
and give great life experiences, we
want to console the community as
well. All together, we want to facil
itate our students, faculty and staff
to flourish together.”
Comfortable being
uncomfortable
Fuller said Hijab Day hinges
on togetherness, like numerous
things in life. She guessed many
would flirt with participating in
it, but may still remain hesitant.
As of Feb.I, 68 people said they
would participate, and 102 people
said they were interested. Even
Meyer, whose participated in Hi
jab Day multiple times, said the
night before she will probably
have jitters. But Fuller said it is
great that women of privilege feel
uncomfortable.
That’s the entire point.
“First, I’d say, ‘Good for you’
for identifying that you feel
scared, because it’s a moment of
privilege to realize that I can get
dressed and not feel scared,” Fuller
said. “I would say, ‘Well done’ for
identifying that you’re scared, and
then I would say, ‘You’re going to
be among friends,’ that it will be a
good learning experience. We’re
not going to let you be alone, and
we’re going to get together at the
end of the day.”
Though the last year has been
hard for her, Okonofua said she
feels “amazing” that so many peo
ple want to uplift her. While there
is still much work to be done, she
hopes the example she and Meyer
are setting will open the flood
gates to helping the Muslim com
munity feel more connected and
accepted.
“This really shows that there
are people who recognize that we
are just as important, just as valu
able, just as deserving to be in this
country as anyone else,” Okonofua
said. “In a society where there is
an overwhelming majority of reli
gious values that are different from
ours, it’s nice to see someone who’s
at least wearing something that re
minds you of your difference from
the main group. It feels amazing
that people are showing you that
they care and that you matter, and
I think that’s most important.”