Paladin

Issue date: 10/2/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Kristen Layne Local Islamic women discussed their experiences and answered questions at the "Women in Islam" CLP on Sept. 23.

As 7 p.m. approached on Wednesday, Sept. 23, extra chairs, and even a piano bench, were brought into McEachern Lecture Hall to seat audience members for the "Women in Islam" Cultural Life Program held that evening.

The seminar, a panel discussion amongst local Muslim women, was the result of the collaboration of professors Akan Malici, who is a practicing Muslim and a member of the political science department; Rima Abunasser, of the English department; Alfons Teipen, of the religion department; and Dez Clodfelter, a senior political science major.

After being part of a peace delegation to Iran the summer following her sophomore year, Clodfelter felt the need to open a U.S./Iran dialogue on Furman's campus. "I found this really extreme difference between U.S. impressions and what the reality is in Iran," said Clodfelter. "I wanted to share this with the Furman students."

Her drive resulted in a lecture series about Iran last year as well as a photography exhibit. The series has continued this year, expanding beyond Iran to general relations with Islam. This forum concentrated on the role of women in Islamic culture and society.

Members of the panel included Ayse Tascan, a Turkish immigrant with a masters in biology from Clemson; Ayesha Ahmad, Karen Bhitan and Layla Jaber, alumnae and the daughters of Pakistinian and Palestinian immigrants; and Malici's wife, Johnna, a convert to Islam.

All the women are from the Greenville area.

"How you look at the world changes drastically when you can put a name with a face," Clodfelter said.

Though there was little contention amongst the panelists, worldviews differed based on each woman's personal history.

"My first day freshman year was Sept. 11, 2001. I was the first headscarf girl to come to Furman," Bhitan said.

Over the course of that first year, she was called out as a terrorist and told she was going to hell by a professor during class.

Despite the negative experiences, Bhitan did not necessarily view Sept. 11 as detrimental to her religion.

"Before 9/11 there was little knowledge about Islam," she said. "One definite plus is that although we went through a tough time post-9/11, the dialogue has opened up."

The panel members answered questions prepared by Malici on their views of the U.S., Christianity and Christ, and the treatment of women under Shariah law. They also fielded questions from members of the audience, which consisted of students, faculty and community members.

With the panel, Clodfelter hoped to expose her classmates to a greater worldview. "If there opinions weren't changed, their ideas and their prejudices, at least they walk out of here with a face and a name."

Along with his wife and Clodfelter, Malici was one of the strongest forces behind the panel's formation.

"An abstraction is lifeless; there is no feeling, but behind this abstraction there are real people. Human faces are what make Islam," he said.

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