Tackling Islamophobia on Campus

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The Muslim Student Community is at present both stagnant and insular compared to it's rival Non-Muslim Student organisations.
Stagnat because whilst Muslim students remain preoccupied with basic Islamic sociey projects, other Non-Muslim organisations have flourished into influential dynamic pressure groups: Chirstians, Hindus, Jews, Kurds and Palestinian have all entered the political world of the NUS (National Union of Students); each ensuring that their people are represneted - that their views are heard and acted upon. In addition there are several other non-religious active student groups such as the NBSA (national Black Student's Alliance) and GUPS (General Union of Plaestinian Students).

because many Islamic Societies and their Student Unions appear mutually content with the role of an Islamic Society remaining within the four walls of their prayer room (assuming that they have one at least!), and all other issues have nothing to do with Islamic societies. year by year, Anti-Racism Weeks, International Weeks, Women's Weeks pass by - withut hardly ever an Islamic perspective being shed, or an Islamic soceity taking an active role.

The following five areas are recommendations for confronting and insha'Allah tackleing Islamophobia on Campus:

• Education
  Awareness campaigns have to be conducted both regarding Islamophobia and Islam in general. Da'wah is unfortunately poorly managed by Islamic Societies in general, and warrrants regular assessment to analyse it's effectiveness.
  Education must take place through a medium and platform accessible to all - Muslims and non-Muslims. The Student Union enables this is the best and most appropriate forum for effective da'wah to take place.
  Mutural respect between the Islamic societies (MSAs) and the Union Exco, close cooperation and exchange of ideas is the only positive way forward. Both the Islamic Societies and the Students Union have much to offer on another
  
  
  
• Formalise Policy
  Encourage constructive debate and make formal policy within the Student Unions and Universities to combat Islamophobia.
  
  
  
• Greater Involvement
  Muslims must take leading and prominent roles within Student Unions to ensure that they are not sidelined. Many Islamic Societies decline to participate in institutions such as the Students Union or NUS they perceive them to be anti-Muslim themselves, without looking beyond the surface to realise that anti Muslim sentiments originate from only a few individuals or organisations who clearly have an agende of their own.
  
  
  
• Coordinate and Communicate
  Islamic Soceities need to create a nation wide network, to exchange ideas and projects, to learn from on anothers mistakes as well as successes and to ensure that similar problems encountered on different campuses are managed appropriately.
  
  
  
• Monitor Islamophobia
  A monitoring service to record and follow through complaints made in order to ensure they are correctly addressed and upheld and take help from Muslim bodies that do this.

Recently, Islamophobia was described as a 'serious and dangerous feature of contemporary affairs and culture'. Amongst those considered to have 'significant roles to play in combating this urgent problem' were politicians, journalists and prominent members of the non-Muslim and Muslim community.
It is these very four groups of people on student campuses, particularly the prominent Muslims who hold the answer to this problem of Islamophobia. It is not a unique problem; it is only part of the wider battle of ideologies; between secularism and religion.
Many parallels may be drawn between Islamophobia and the constant ridiculing the Church has faced in this 'age of liberalisation'. The Church (forced) shift in attitudes towards homosexuality and abortion are only two examples of this.