Since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, many Americans seem to have acquired an anti-Islam prejudice, equating terrorism and extremism with the Muslim faith. The attacks were frightening and appalling and its proximity in history still evokes much grief in the surviving victims, families of victims and Americans as a whole. But there are victims of this horrific event and the hatred aroused by its perpetrators, who continue to suffer both within the United States and overseas, largely unnoticed, although most Muslims yearn for peace. We decided to ask students how they perceive the issue.

Was this “Islamophobia” triggered by 9/11 or did anti-islamic sentiments exist previously?

“They definitely existed before. We’ve been involved with the Middle East over the past few decades in things like the Gulf War and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, so people have certainly held Arabs and Muslims in some contempt, but I believe that 9/11 was a rallying cry and an adrenaline shock for Americans that sort of stirred up more discontent and hatred. And I think the consequent Iraq War just reflected the mindset that we expect them to attack us. But it wasn’t Islam that killed people, it was people who were nuts. ”

-David Wouch ‘16; Plano, Texas

Why do Americans hold anti-Islamic prejudices?

“People are uncomfortable with things that are different. In this case, (Muslims) are perceived as the “other.” But it doesn’t just exist within the United States. It’s also felt in Europe and other places where there’s been a growth in the Arab population, so there is a universal fear of this different culture, but for different reasons depending upon which country you’re in.”

-David Wouch ’16; Plano, Texas

Why do people feel that Islam is contradictory or threatening to their “American values” of things like freedom, justice and liberty?

“I don’t know. Perhaps they think Islam is a strict religion. It depends what you consider to be freedoms. If you label freedoms in some customs as the right to marry who you want to, or to have sex before marriage, then maybe it’s not compatible, but mostly we hold the same ideals. Most Muslims want peace just like many Americans do. A true Muslim would not kill anyone — because it is against the Koran.”

-Arokhsh Faiz Qaisary ’15; Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan

“Ignorance. Most Americans don’t personally know Muslims and they just listen to the paranoid hate speech that is spewed by biased news outlets which prey on American ignorance about Islam. Americans don’t even know what Muslims look like. We think brown skin, plus turban, equals Muslim, but this isn’t necessarily true. Also some people try to put emphasis on America as an inherently Christian nation, which just isn’t true. They tend to ignore the principles upon which our country was truly founded.

-Susan Prill, assistant professor of religion at Juniata

What is the solution to this dissonance?

“I think education, going to college, integration through direct human contact and even television. Vice President Biden was teased for admitting that the show Will and Grace convinced him accept gay people, but truly television is just another way to “make friends.” I think in regard to the media though and some of the biases that exist, different stations tend to shout past each other and I’m not really sure how to reconcile that. People tend to listen to news that reflects their beliefs.”

-Susan Prill, assistant professor of religion at Juniata

-Hannah Jeffery ’16, Juniata Online Journalist