In wake of attacks, Spartans talk about terrorism

Muslim+Student+Association+%28MSA%29+members++raise+money++during+SpartanFest+for+service+projects+and+charity.

Photo courtesy of Shirley Kabir

Muslim Student Association (MSA) members raise money during SpartanFest for service projects and charity.

Christian Locke, Oracle Editor

From the sparkling metropolis of Paris, to the quiet halls of a community college in Oregon, to a suburbs of Los Angeles County, the ominous shadow of terrorism seems able to reach anywhere, anytime.
In a world of instant communication, it is ever important to realize what is going on around the world and how it affects different populations.
“The Muslim community is being treated poorly around the world,” said Muslim student, WS senior Shirley Kabir. “[The Muslim population’s] reputation has been ruined over the last decade and a half.”
Many Muslims want to communicate what they consider a crucial message to the rest of the population, not only in the US, but worldwide.
“It’s easy for many to forget that’s the people committing these crimes are radicalized and do not make up the entire 1.6 billion population [of Muslim worldwide]; especially since they are gaining so much attention by the media,” said Kabir. “Though we follow the same religion- our beliefs are very different: I believe that we should coexist peacefully with others, not exterminate them.”
The question therefore is not whether or not terrorism is a threat, but if the United States is a safe environment for all its citizens.
Though many students don’t pause for a moment to question their safety, some Muslim students are concerned about our current presidential candidates and how they could affect the American perspective on the Muslim community.
“When [Presidential candidate Donald]Trump talked about banning all Muslims, I didn’t mind as much…it’s Trump talking,” said senior Shirley Kabir. “The fact that the crowd of people listening to him weren’t in shock, and are on board with his idea, that is what frightens me.”
To ensure that students feel safe coming to school, Kabir thinks that there is one simple thing we need to do to ensure that we support all our classmates:
“As a student body, the easiest thing we can do is just respect one another,” said Kabir. “Something as simple as being careful with your own words goes a long way, especially in schools.”
This is especially important in a time when, according to Kabir, feelings of fear and doubt around a Muslim individual’s intentions have resurfaced, though WS does provide a certain security to Muslim students.
“Frankly, I don’t feel as safe in our country in general as opposed to our school,” said Kabir. “West Springfield has a much friendlier environment than what we see in the news.”
Outside of racial prejudice, many students believe that we are safe from terrorism’s dark grasp.
“We have the resources to protect ourselves, for example policemen in our schools,” said senior Jacob Levine.