Aymen’s Page

Panel draws 200 at convention held in Dearborn

BY ZLATI MEYER
December 25, 2006

Sixteen-year- old Maliha Taufiq remembers when another student at East Lansing High School called her “rug head” to mock the hijab she wears to cover her hair.

She knows that peer pressure and teasing are as much a part of growing up as acne and book reports, but as a Muslim, Maliha sometimes finds herself getting a few extra jabs.

The 11th-grader was one of approximately 200 students of all ages who attended the “Intimidation at School: How to Deal with It” panel Sunday at the Muslim American Society and Islamic Circle of North America’s annual convention at the Dearborn Hyatt Regency.

The theme for the convention, held Saturday and Sunday, was “Muslim Americans for Revival and Reform.” The convention featured workshops and discussions for all ages.

Two youth mentors, Raeed Tayeh and Muslema Purmul, outlined how to handle various bullying scenarios, what causes people to taunt schoolmates and how to stay strong when being picked on.

“There are certain realities Muslim kids face more because of their religiosity, ” said Tayeh, adding that children of immigrants often have a tough time turning to their parents for help because of their different cultural experiences.

Among the situations discussed were how to respond to name calling, what to do when physically attacked, how to help a fellow Muslim student in distress and what to consider when friends want to do things Islam disapproves of, like drugs and drinking.

Purmul, for example, suggested joining with other Muslim students to become an active force on campus, turning to teachers and school officials for help and being the person to make plans for the group to ensure the activities are acceptable.

“When you’re in a room, everyone’s disgracing Allah, you’re not the minority, you’re the majority,” she said, inspiring the attendees to look beyond themselves for the courage to defend their faith.

Maliha said that she ignored the name-calling and reported the incident to school officials because she saw through the boy’s fake bravado.

“He was an ignorant student,” she said.

 Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and whatsoever is between them, and whatsoever is beneath the sod.