Muslim Students Criticize Banzhaf’s Legal Action (CUA Crosses Case)

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From CUA’s paper, The Tower:

University Muslim students have announced their opposition to the recent lawsuit against the University proposed by George Washington University professor John F. Banzhaf, who claims that the University is discriminating against Muslim students by not offering them a separate place to pray on campus.

The University has not received any official statement from the Office of Human Rights in regard to the lawsuit.

“Neither me nor any Muslim student I know has ever filed a complaint against CUA for any reason,” said sophomore biomedical engineering major Alawiyah Al Hashem. “I haven’t seen any actions taken by the university or any of its students that would justify doing so.”

So Banzhaf is just doing this to rake muck.

But I guess that doesn’t really matter…does it… 🤷
 
Good for them!

Muslims don’t get enough positive press on CAF. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
 
And of course this thread is staying pretty quiet as it doesn’t fit with the dominant perception of Muslims around here.
 
Good afternoon, all,

I’m glad this student spoke out. We really needed for this to be verified by an on campus Muslim.

God loves all of you, lurkers, too,
Don
 
ringil said:
And of course this thread is staying pretty quiet as it doesn’t fit with the dominant perception of Muslims around here.
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FWIW, I (the OP) am a knuckle-dragging right winger. I have, since 11:59 AM on Jan 20, 2009, had a Gadsden Flag hanging from my flagpole and have no intention on changing it until 12:01 PM on Jan 20, 2013 (at the earliest). I oppose the dhimmification of our society.

I also know several Muslim graduates of CUA. And have for the past almost 25 years. Some are close friends.

Go figure.
 
It’s very unfortunate that there are not more CAF posters on this thread. These kids deserve to have their good name defended.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
I for one saw almost instantly when the story first broke that this was not about the Muslim students, but about some deranged lawyer exploiting the 500 pound gorilla of modern anticatholicism to get publicity. So this story here is not news, in the strict sense.

But to show fellowship with the students whose good name this lawyer is whoring out, I will chime in and say bravo to them.
 
I am glad that the student(s) have stepped up. Hopefully the “muck rakers” …university instructor/Lawyer …will be taken to task for their malicious intent.
ringil said:
And of course this thread is staying pretty quiet as it doesn’t fit with the dominant perception of Muslims around here.
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Hmmmm…:rolleyes:
 
From the little that I know about this lawyer, he has a habit of testing the law. He’ll find someone or something that is out of the mainstream and take it to court. It’s a very strange way of testing the law.

That being said, I’m very glad to see the Muslims responding. Often, they are very intimidated by the radical elements in Islam and they keep their mouths shut when they are being used as pawns.

These kids who are responding in defense of Catholic University are not going to score points with radical extremist Muslims.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
jwinch2 said:
Very true. I’m glad to see them speaking out.
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Let’s just pray that some radical nut doesn’t go after one of them. That would be tragic. I can see all now. Somehow, Catholic University would be blamed, no to mention that these kids don’t deserve such abuse.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
Been thinking about searching for this topic on here. This legal action really shows a serious lack of many different attributes.
 
Maybe off topic but in the Catholic University i am involved with it is a healthy sign that the Muslim students interact in a jovial manner and are very comfortable.

I think they are happy to be attending a Catholic University that is Catholic, and they respect it for being Catholic.
 
I think it’s telling that people think that more CAF members should speak out in favor of any Muslims. That line of thinking suggests, at least from my perspective, that most people here would expect them to be singled out as supporters of something unfavorable, or that they wouldn’t necessarily speak out against this professor’s lawsuit.

It’s almost like saying, “I know many Muslims are hostile Christianity, but look at these here, they’re friendly!” It’s patronizing in a way.

To me, they’re human beings. Forget stereotypes, whether justified or not. They’re individuals. They shouldn’t be singled out as a group positively or negatively.

Most of the Muslims I know (and there are quite a few in my neck of the woods) aren’t overtly religious, and don’t talk publicly about faith at all. They actually seem pretty indifferent to religion.
 
Well, many I know are also rather devout, sweat-the-details Muslims, and they participate in the life of this country as much as anyone else. One of those I know even serves in the Army. Now, he is a little loony - but that’s because he’s a Paulite, not because he’s a Muslim. 😃
 
When I was Director of Pastoral Care for People With Disabilities in a major diocese, the program had it’s own finance department. One of the accountants was Muslim, We became very good friends. He was one of the nicest people in that department. He was very jovial, attentive to our needs and requests and understood the mission of the ministry. It did not seem to bother him at all to be surrounded by Catholics. Whenever I asked him questions about Islam, he was always helpful and never made anti-Catholic statements.

I remember asking him to explain the reason for veiling Muslim women. He gave me an explanation that actually made sense, not that I would put veils and burkas on Western women. But if I were sitting in the middle of their world, it would have made sense to me.

On another occasion, I asked him about Jihad. Again, he explained that there was a real problem with the understanding of the concept and how they have problems among themselves regarding this. To some, Jihad would be to Islam what the Crusades were to Catholics and to others Jihad is a form of totalitarianism. Then you have all the shades in between. I never knew this. He helped me appreciate, EVEN MORE, the fact that we have a centralized ecclesiastical authority. When you get so many millions of people with no central spiritual head, things can go south very quickly. He actually conceded that point to Catholics.

I worked at the university with a Muslim professor. She too was very different from the stereotypical Muslim woman.

Years later, I would be invited to help the Saudi Ministry of Education setup a special education program for girls. I had to work with a team of female Muslim educators, psychologists, social workers and I can’t recall what else. But they were all PhDs. I was very impressed by their knowledge, good manners, and the smoothness with which they observed their laws without allowing them to interfere in our project.

I recall walking into a conference room unannounced. All of these Muslim doctors were sitting at the table. As I walked in, all but one, reached for her head covering, without any fanfare and without making me feel as if I had invaded the Sultan’s harem. The one did not cover her hair at all. I did not notice the others treating her differently.

When I was a student at Catholic University of America, I was in classes with some of them. They were like the rest of us. It was the middle of the whole Iran issue. There was a lot of anti-Iranian sentiment in Washington, DC. It was not a good place for Muslims, especially Iranians to be. However, they were there, at CUA. I remember walking across the campus one day. I was in my habit. Three girls came up and asked me to pray for them, because they were scared. Someone had said something very mean to them and they were frightened.

I was a grad student and these girls were undergrads, probably no older than 18 or 19. My heart broke for them as it would for any teen away from home who feels threatened by a bully. I remembered Shakespeare’s statement, “If you prick me, do I not bleed?”

Man can be so cruel to man, when we have the potential for such holiness and compassion. Sometimes we waste such a beautiful grace.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
bearer said:
I think it’s telling that people think that more CAF members should speak out in favor of any Muslims. That line of thinking suggests, at least from my perspective, that most people here would expect them to be singled out as supporters of something unfavorable, or that they wouldn’t necessarily speak out against this professor’s lawsuit.

It’s almost like saying, “I know many Muslims are hostile Christianity, but look at these here, they’re friendly!” It’s patronizing in a way.
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First of all, I lived in a Muslim country for 3 years. I think I’m qualified. From attending circumcision ceremonies, weddings, funerals, seeing lambs sacrificed on Eid al-Adha (or Kurban Bayram, as it’s called in Turkey) and then seeing the charity trucks going around getting the skins and the meat for charity distribution. Even seeing the sheet hung out of the apartment window after the wedding night.

And, based upon that experience, this type of action is not in the personality of the vast majority of the Muslims I have known. Most whom I’ve run into are thankful that we are not atheists and are happy that we have morals. Most whom I’ve run into are concerned with Western decadence destroying their society, not Christianity.

I have run into some (a small minority) who were more “activist”, but they were in the small minority. And that observation applies not only to several years ago living in a Muslim country, but applies to this day…to include associating with several quite conservative Muslim families.

Where I, frankly, have run into the largest anti-social element is with converts. And with those who are very poorly educated. Such as some guest worker enclaves in Germany. (And, from my observation, some enclaves in New Jersey)

In other words, not the type to attend CUA. UDC, sure. U-Maryland, sure. CUA? Hardly.
To me, they’re human beings. Forget stereotypes, whether justified or not. They’re individuals. They shouldn’t be singled out as a group positively or negatively.
Click to expand...
 
Good morning, all,

Living most of my life in Texas, I haven’t had that much contact with Muslims. But, the little contact I’ve had, I’ve enjoyed.

There’s a store in our neighborhood ran by Muslims. They are good, hard working people and kind to their customers. They don’t cheat us about prices and making change. For awhile, the store owner and I would chat at the counter. We have different views, but he’s not violent.

When I was a security guard, at Carter Blood me and a Muslim young man talked with each other from time to time. He was a fine young man who happened to Muslim. Not hateful at all.

I think that the extremist Muslims give Islam a bad name.

God loves all of you, lurkers, too,
Don
 
donsnow said:
I think that the extremist Muslims give Islam a bad name.
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Agreed, 100%. My only regular issue with non-violent Muslims is that I wish they would speak out more against the violence that is too often perpetrated in the name of Islam. There are literally people killed everyday around the world and rarely does any of that get denounced publicly from what I can tell. Maybe I am just not seeing it…
 
A CAtholic convert from Islam told me that non-violent Muslims that do not condone the violent behavior we see in extremists are similar to the cafeteria Christians that pick and choose what they want to believe. Now, I’m no expert, but I do have a degree in Geography and have studied the region for many years. I have a copy of the Koran, but gave the one in Arabic away to a preacher. I should have kept it. I’ve read bits and pieces, but don’t know the entire text, yet. I’ve worked mostly on my own conversion that led me to Catholicism.

Anyone out there know anything about this? It makes me wonder whether we’re wishful thinking instead of facing reality.
 
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