An opportunity to educate US students on Islam, may change the negative perception of Islam since 9/11.
|||A cross-cultural experience by a group of visiting American students has helped change the stereotypical view they previously had of Islam and its followers.
That’s the view of the students from Whitworth University in Seattle, USA, who had the opportunity of living with Muslim families in Durban last week.
The cross-cultural experience was the brainchild of the Islamic Propagation Centre International (IPCI).
Twenty-three Christian American students arrived in South Africa at the beginning of January as part of their studies to experience a cross-cultural understanding.
As part of the programme the American visitors spent a night with Muslim families in Durban to gain a first hand knowledge of their religious and cultural beliefs.
Pre-medical student Jack Dunbar, 21, from Washington, was welcomed into the home of Ebrahim Jadwat and his wife Rasheeda from Musgrave.
“Post 9/11 Islam has been vilified in America. It’s sad that the entire religion and its people are tainted because of the actions of a small fundamentalist group. After my stay with the Jadwat family I learnt that Muslims, like people of all other religions, are good and honest people who live according to their faith.”
Political student Amanda Brodhag, 20, from California, said Americans were ignorant when understanding the Muslim community. “I found that I could relate to them, their aspirations and beliefs. I had the opportunity of living with the Shaik family in Parlock, Durban, and interacted with their three children.”
Theology student Emily McBroom, 22, from Washington, described her experience with the Goolam Hoosain Suliman and his wife Faye from Westville family as “wonderful”.
McBroom said lots of Americans had a prejudiced stereotypical view of Muslim people which needs to be broken. - The Post