"Peace... Not Prejudice" Campaign
Read Sr. Asma Mirza's editorial letter to the
Washington Post, "Muslim Students Against Prejudice"
"I encourage all the Muslims Students to take part in the 'Peace...Not Prejudice' campaign to educate their fellow students. Stay calm, cool and enlighten the people." ~ Imam Suhaib Webb
"[The] 'Peace...Not Prejudice' campaign is a brilliant idea! I am reminded of what our beloved Prophet, Muhammad (s) once said; 'Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day, say a good word or remain silent'...I pray all the students of MSA get involved in this meaningful program." ~ Imam Siraj Wahhaj
The Muslim Students Association National (MSA National) is proud to announce the launch of a national education campaign aimed at building bridges of understanding between students of all faiths and races on university and college campuses across North America.
The 'Peace...Not Prejudice' Campaign is a proactive and positive effort to further facilitate understanding about Islam and Muslims in our local university and college communities. By engaging students of diverse racial and religious backgrounds, MSA National hopes to eliminate stereotypes and racism among campus communities.
For more information please e-mail
If you are an MSA Chapter interested in hosting a 'Peace...Not Prejudice' event please e-mail the following information from your school account:
- Name
- School
- MSA Chapter Position
Resources:
MSA National does not endorse and is not responsible for any of the activities, literature, or opinions of other organizations or individuals. The following literature and materials are not produced by MSA National:
Pamphlet Materials
Websites
- Peace, Justice and Forgiveness
- Muslims in the West and around the world today
- IslamiCity.com - Islam & The Global Muslim eCommunity
- Astrolabe Islamic Bookstore
- 877-Why-Islam
- Jannah.org
- Sultan Islamic Links
- Musalman - The Islamic Portal
- Arrahman-Arraheem - The Gateway Towards Guidance
Videos Online
- 5 Minute Introduction to Islam
- Islam in America - Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Talks to Mark Lawson (Part 2) (Part 3)
- American Ramadan Documentary
- The History of Islam in America: Columbus to Slavery
- Understanding Ramadan: A Day in the Life of an Imam
- Fasting during Ramadan in US (news clip)
- A Visit to the Grave of Malcolm X
- Muslim for 30 days
Videos Available for Purchase
- A Dream in Doubt (source) (description)
“A Dream in Doubt” is an immigrant story in a world in which patriotism has morphed into murder. When Rana Singh Sodhi’s brother is killed in America’s first post-9/11 revenge murder, he begins a journey to reclaim his American dream and fight the hate that continues to threaten his community. This intimate, hour-long documentary of one man’s odyssey from persecution in India to embracing America as his homeland proves that courage and hope have the power to overcome hate.
- America at a Crossroads - PBS (source) (description)
A major public television event that premiered on PBS in April 2007. This ongoing series explores the challenges confronting the post-9/11 world — including the war on terrorism; the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan; the experience of American troops serving abroad; the struggle for balance within the Muslim world; and global perspectives on America’s role overseas.
- The Fog is Lifting: Islam in Brief (source) (description)
Unreliable sources have made Islam by far the most misunderstood religion in the world.
The Fog is Lifting is a series of documentaries that challenges your knowledge about the Islamic faith and traditions.
In this DVD titled Islam in Brief - the first part of The Fog is Lifting- you will learn in 74 minutes more information than what you can acquire in 74 days of reading.
For the viewer’s convenience, the Film consists of ten chapters; each one deals with one or more specific concept, belief or ritual, even though it is recommended to watch the chapters in order.
- Born in the USA: American Muslims (source) (description)
They don't want to be tolerated...they want to be respected!
Recent demographic studies show that most Muslim Americans are highly educated, are American citizens and are registered to vote! Despite these factors, which generally command respect in society, recent polls show that the majority of the 7 million Muslims in America have experienced some form of bias or prejudice after 9/11. Moreover, the media rarely focuses on the millions of Muslim Americans that serve this country as doctors, engineers, lawyers, computer engineers, and a host of other professions that contribute to American society and the world.
This unique film challenges the typical image of Muslims in America, by following a Muslim American doctor and teacher in a post-9-11 world. It looks at their everyday lives, as well as interactions with their families, friends and colleagues, sharing startling and often funny insights into what it means to be a Muslim American.
Probably won't win at the Oscars but might have a bigger impact than any film out there."~ CBS 2 - New York
- 'Discover Islam' Chapters
- Meet the Producer
- Meet Dina (Featured Teacher)
- Meet Mohammed (Featured Doctor)
- 'Factoids' About Islam in America
- The Hajj: One American's Pilgrimage to Mecca (source) (description)
For over 1,400 years, Muslims have been performing the pilgrimage, or Hajj, to the sacred site of Mecca. In modern times, approximately two million Muslims make the pilgrimage to Mecca each year, a trip required of all Muslims at least once in lifetime if they are financially and physically able. During the Hajj, Muslims from all over the world come together for a few days to participate in common rituals, joined together by their shared faith in the most holy places of Islam, the city and surrounding areas of Mecca. As the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the site where he first received Qur’anic revelation, Mecca is a place of great spirituality and tradition.
Since only Muslims may enter Mecca, it is a place that few Americans will get to see, which makes this piece especially interesting. Following writer/producer Michael Wolfe, the film documents his second trip or Hajj for ABC News’ Nightline. One of the more than seven million Muslims in the United States, Wolfe is a convert to Islam, born to a Christian mother and a Jewish father. Speaking live from the Ka’ba, the Great Mosque in Mecca, in an interview with ABC News’ Ted Koppel, Wolfe takes viewers step-by-step through both the physical and spiritual aspects of the pilgrimage, explaining the origins and meanings of the various rituals.
- CNN Hajj 2000 (source) (description)
An outstanding documentary of the Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah, brought to a worldwide audience by CNN, making tv history. Riz Khan and Rula Amin bring you the story from Makkah. This fifth pillar of Islam requires all Muslims who are physically and financially capable of performing the Hajj to do so once in their lifetime and it dates back to the time of Abraham. Topics covered include: the history and significance of Hajj in Islam, the steps of circling the Ka’bah, visiting the Mount of Mercy, stoning the pillars, making the sacrifice and more. The video features inspiring personal stories from pilgrims in every part of the world, why they come, what benefit they receive and what challenges they face.
- Inside Mecca: Presented by National Geographic (source) (description)
The city of Mecca has been the historical and spiritual center for Islam since the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, and even before, dating back to the Prophet Abraham and his family. This insightful documentary explores the holy city and its historic importance, while explaining the rituals behind the pilgrimage, or Hajj. Featuring an executive from Malaysia, a radio commentator from South Africa and a professor from the United States the film follows a group of individuals whose lives are forever changed by their journey and experiences as they take part in an epic five-day reaffirmation of faith and quest for spirituality.
- Islam in America After September 11th (source) (description)
An important production that aired on various PBS Stations nationwide, this film provides a look into the various ways the American Muslim community suffered as well as their shared contributions and service alongside their American neighbors after the tragic events of 9/11. American Muslim leaders including Hamza Yusuf Hanson, an American born Islamic scholar, are interviewed along with Muslims from all walks of life. The film also touches on issues relating to civil rights, continuing harassment of Muslims, and the recent wars.
- Islam: Empire of Faith (source) (description)
This significant PBS documentary, (air date 5/8/01) is available at discounted prices! Empire of Faith is a two and a half hour documentary that vividly presents Islam's contributions to world civilization. Presented in three parts on two tapes, it tells the spectacular story of the rise and spread of Islam during its first 1,000 years -- from the birth of Prophet Muhammad to the peak of the Ottoman Empire under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. Evocative re-enactments and a remarkable exposition of Islamic art, artifacts and architecture combine with interviews of scholars from around the world to recount the rise and glory of early Islamic civilization in this epic story of a culture and an empire that dominated a millennium, encompassed half the world, and help shape much of the world and history till the present day.
- The Pilgrimage of Malcolm X (source) (description)
On February 2nd, 2002, the second day of the ‘Eid al-Adha and a warm Sunday afternoon, an audience gathered at the Zaytuna Institute to celebrate the days of Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and more specifically, the life of an American Muslim man whose story and spiritual transformation was so intricately associated with those sacred days—the life of Malcom X.
In their respective lectures, Zaid Shakir and Hamza Yusuf discuss the tragic yet extraordinary circumstances that went into creating this exemplary man. From having his father murdered by the KKK and seeing his mother end her life in an insane asylum as a result, it is not surprising that Malcolm became a bitter racist who attacked the system and the people he felt—and was quite justified in feeling—reduced him and other Blacks to the lowest of the low.
But in responding to the ancient call of the prophet Abraham to perform the Hajj, explains Zaid Shakir, Malcolm took a step that would transform him: he would rise above what America had made him by realizing that at his core he was no different from the whites he resented. Moreover, he realized that those who were oppressive were in worse shape and in more need of sympathy than those being oppressed. In experiencing the equalizing event of the Hajj, stresses Hamza Yusuf, he recognized that it was only true belief and submission to the Creator that could remove from people’s minds a focus on the incidentals of race and color and allow them to recognize that everyone is equal in their powerlessness before God. The footage of the event in this set will also give viewers a taste of the tranquility and spirit of brotherhood that pervaded throughout the day, perhaps a glimpse of what Malcolm witnessed and was transformed by on the Hajj.
- A Visit to a Mosque in America: Understanding Islam and the American Muslim Community (source) (description)
'I would tell my American neighbors to get to know the Muslim community, their lives will be enriched if they do so." - 'Chip' Harrod,
Takes an intimate look inside the life of an American Muslim community. Viewers are taken for a tour of four major buildings at this Islamic Center, itself an architectural masterpiece.
Members of the community teach viewers about Islamic beliefs and worship in the mosque, common misconceptions about Islam (women, violence, etc.) in the Community Center, Islamic education in the Academy, and interact with other faiths in the Cultural Center.
- Inside Islam: Presented by the History Channel (source) (description)
While Islam is the second largest of the world's great religions, and the fastest growing, it is also the most misunderstood. Inside Islam lifts the veil of mystery surrounding this faith as it traces its roots back to Abraham and other revealed scripture, and examines how the Five Pillars, the religion's central tenets, helped spread Islam to the far corners of the world. It also looks at what the Qu'ran says about war, violence and suicide, and how these words have been co-opted by extremists, as well as views from scholars such as Khaled Abou el Fadl (author of Speaking in God's Name), who explore the various challenges facing Muslims today. A multi-faceted, illuminating introduction to a much misunderstood faith.
DVD Features:
- Timeline of Islamic History
- Scene Selection
- Interactive Menus
- In-depth interviews with renown Islamic scholars.
- Muhammad Legacy of Prophet (source) (description)
A lively, thorough, and revealing portrait of Muhammad, the man and the Prophet. It takes viewers not only to the world of 7th century Arabia to examine the life and history of the man whom Muslims consider to be the last prophet, but also looks into the homes, mosques, and workplaces of some of America's seven million Muslims to discover the many ways in which Muslims today continue to follow Muhammad's example. Especially relevant in a post 9-11 world, this film shows a side of Islam and Muslims that is rarely encountered on the television screen.
DVD Features:
- Virtual Hajj
- English and Arabic subtitles
- ‘Making of' interviews with Michael Wolfe, Alex Kronemer, Michael Schwartz
- Deleted scenes
FAQs:
What is a Peace…Not Prejudice event?
Any educational or interfaith event held on campus and co-sponsored by other student groups.
What types of events should we hold?
Depending on your campus, you can hold a DVD screening, an interfaith roundtable, a panel discussion, or a lecture...among many other possibilities!
What topics can Peace...Not Prejudice events cover?
Each campus is unique, thus the topics can range from Islam 101 to Facing Prejudice in America: Reviewing our history and moving forward.
How do we address media questions?
Talking points and sample editorials are included in the Peace...Not Prejudice kit. If you need help please e-mail from your school e-mail address today!
Four Tips to help your MSA have a rockin' PnP:
- Attend one of two PnP Conference Calls Thursday October 11th, 2007 at 5pm and 11pm EST. Please RSVP to with the following information to receive dial in instructions:
- Your Name
- Campus Name
- Your MSA Position (if any)
- Attend "Talking to the Media" training conference call by professional COMPASS trainers on Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at 11pm EST. Please RSVP to with the following information to receive dial in instructions:
- Your Name
- Campus Name
- Your MSA Position (if any)
- Visit the MSA National website regularly for an updated list of resources your MSA can use for a Peace...not Prejudice Awareness Week.
- Obtain an updated version of The Peace...not Prejudice Campaign Kit. New flyers, press release and more! Email from your school address.
Press Releases:
9/16/07 - MSA Launches 'Peace…Not Prejudice' National Campaign
10/10/07 - Help Fight Prejudice on Campus
10/21/07 - Gearing up for Peace...Not Prejudice: Conference Call Tonight!
