Dr. Sabeel Ahmed of GainPeace and Mr. Eddie Redzovick of the Deen Show presented on the subject of Islam and Muslims for Lake Zurich High School’s World Religion Project on December 4. The aim of the project was to create deeper understanding, awareness, and appreciation of world religions and cultures that shape an individual’s identity. Ten speakers representing the five religions of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam were situated at tables surrounding the library for students to visit. They used a rotational model where ten groups of approximately ten students went to each table to learn about each religion.
Participating students showed great curiosity about Islam and asked questions regarding women in Islam, the shootings in California and about Islamic beliefs. The students provided excellent feedback on their interaction with the Muslim delegation.
Faculty and staff also engaged in the presentation by asking questions and were excited to learn more about the Islamic faith and the Muslim community. Dr. Ahmed pointed out the broader success of these types of educational efforts: “Events like this, involving the young and developing minds are a great venue to educate them about Islam from an accurate source and also to address their concerns and questions about Islam being negatively portrayed by the media.”