Support 'overwhelming' for Muslims on campus, in community

As Muslims in Bloomington and around the country braced for backlash following the terrorist attacks two weeks ago, what they weren't prepared for was the outpouring of community support.\nIn the past two weeks, the community has offered their support in ways ranging from flowers to sponsored-talks to people coming forward to ensure safety. \nWhile Muslims are still warning each other to stay on guard because of some instances of targeted hostility have risen, they are touched that the greater Bloomington-area has, overall, been kind. \n"It's been overwhelming," said Naimah Bilal, president of the Muslim Student Union.\nSome students have been attacked or verbally harassed, but more people have shown understanding, said senior Sohaib Sultan.\nSultan, a student advisor to the Muslim Student Union, said Muslims were fearful of being lashed out against, but they came out to educate others about Islam in formal and informal setting since the terrorist attacks.\nBilal, along with Kathryn Bryan, a continuing studies student, organized a buddy system for Muslims wanting an escort to and from classes. She said they received hundreds of e-mails from people wanting to help. Bryan said the response was so overwhelming that she couldn't respond to each one individually. \nBut, that's not all. Last week, Muslims and non-Muslims participated in a solidarity event by wearing the hijab or the kufi, a head covering Muslim women and men wear. \nThe Religious Studies Department also sponsored an event about Islam last Wednesday and more than 300 people showed up at Ballantine Hall. The turnout was so huge that the room couldn't hold everyone and 200 people were turned away, said moderator Kevin Jaques, a religious studies professor. Last weekend, churches invited Muslims to speak about their religion. More discussions are planned for later this week and month.\nThe picture is fairly indicative of what's been happening around the country. Following the bombings in New York and Washington D.C., journalists were careful not to place responsibility on terrorists with Middle East connections, a sign that journalists learned from Oklahoma, where the media overwhelmingly designated the bombings to a foreign terrorist when it was indeed the workings of American Timothy McVeigh.\nThat's a sign that the country has learned, Jaques said. During the Oklahoma City bombing, Jaques was at Arizona State. He tells stories of his friends who were physically assaulted and harassed. That hasn't happened so much this time, he said because the media and politicians have come forward with a desire to portray Muslims accurately and show their support for Muslim Americans. Besides the news media, Jaques noted that politicians have come out to support Arab-Americans and Muslims. Part of the reason why, he believes, is because 7 million Muslims live in America, and they might vote as a group. \n"You can't blame everybody for the acts of a few," he said. "If the government is to wage this war, they can't wage it against 1.2 billion. They've got to be clear."\nMore discussions and round-table events are planned. This Wednesday, Jaques will be leading a round-table discussion about Islamic law. That same day, there will be another talk about the military, political and diplomatic responses to terror at Rawles Hall 100. The Near Eastern Languages and Cultures dept. will be running a documentary about Islam later this week. On Oct. 3, the Religious Studies dept. will hold another session about "Islam and America" since nearly 200 people were turned away from the first session.\nAs for Sultan, he says despite the attacks, attitudes toward Muslims have come a long way since Oklahoma City.\n"That does give me a lot of hope," he said. "Arab American and Muslim Americans have come a long way"