Holding Hands

Chapter 57

"Knowledge is power." Salim ended the meeting to hoots and hollers and nods of respect from everyone in attendance.

I would have to take a few notes from Salim. Not only did he know what to say, he said it in such a compelling way. He rallied the troops. Would I ever be able to do that? Could I say what was on my mind without being afraid to speak up? I was afraid of what others might think. Afraid to express myself the way Salim did- powerfully and with certainty. It was time for me to tackle my fears head on. Salim wasn't afraid. He had an easy way with people and knew exactly the right thing to say to achieve his goal. I was going to have to do it too. Very next opportunity I get, I promised myself, I'm going to do it. I'm going to swallow my fear and speak up.

Our MSA began a tolerance campaign by plastering the campus with peace posters. The images were of smiling, young men and women shaking hands, their arms casually flung around each other's shoulders. The posters featured different ethnicities. Some students dressed in their country's traditional garb, some girls wearing a hijab covering their hair, others not. We tried to represent everybody, including the few white Muslims on campus. On some posters, people sat smiling, eating a meal together. The phrase written on the posters was causing quite a stir. "Before you judge, get to know me. Talk to a Muslim."

It was a huge success. The small room we were allotted could not hold all the guests who showed up to the next MSA meeting. The offer to start a peaceful conversation was working. Students and professors came out to extend and accept the olive branch of peace. In time, we hoped to eradicate ignorance, at least on our campus. That would be a good start. After that, we could tackle the rest of the world.