LONDON – Susan Strauss had a dream of harmony.

Strauss, the assistant director of the Syracuse University London Program, imagined a symposium where students could learn about Muslim culture, get free food and possibly meet Cat Stevens.

With the help of writer, broadcaster and SULP faculty member Christopher Cook, Strauss made that dream come true. American students, British faculty and Islamic scholars came together Monday night to participate in Encounters with Islam, an event hosted to expose students to and discuss the influences and struggles of Muslims living in the United Kingdom.

Strauss came up with the concept for the program to expand on Chancellor Nancy Cantor’s push for greater diversity and understanding.

‘I feel like it’s so important … to understand what the Muslim world is really about,’ said Strauss. She was thrilled by the immediate and positive responses to her requests for presenters, she said.

Strauss and Cook decided to invite two keynote speakers to give the program balance. They first invited Sheik Dr. M.A. Zaki Badawi, who Cook said ‘has become an extraordinarily important voice for Islamic culture in Britain.’ The other noted speaker was Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, who Strauss contacted through a local Muslim center.

Director of SULP Dr. Peter Leuner opened the event by saying the program was ‘proud to be a part of (Cantor’s) commitment to dialogue between different communities.’

Speaking from personal experiences, Islam retold stories about his past and his life-changing experiences converting to the Muslim religion.

Born Steven Demetre Georgiou, Islam changed his name to Cat Stevens while he rose as a pop star in the ’60s. Upon his conversion to Islam, he changed his name to Yusuf after the prophet Joseph, who is revered for his virtue of patience. Islam said he chose that name because he hopes he can have a little bit more patience.

Islam’s path to conversion began, he said, when he contracted tuberculosis and faced the possibility of death.

‘I certainly didn’t know what would happen to me if I were to die,’ Islam said, despite his Christian upbringing. ‘This experience led Islam to search for a deeper meaning in life. My search became part of my life, and part of my art.’

After receiving a copy of the Quran, Islam was taken in by the simplicity of its message of oneness in God, man and life’s purpose. Though his family members were not all supportive of his decision to convert, Islam was not dissuaded.

‘No matter how many people aren’t accepting you, follow your heart,’ Islam said.

‘(Islam is) somebody with really genuine faith,’ said Sameer Rahim, a fellow presenter at the symposium who writes for the London Review of Books. Rahim added that when Islam talks about action, ‘he actually has done it; it’s not just his words.’

Junior musical theater major Natalie Lurowist said Islam ‘seemed very docile and philosophical. I liked how he kind of hinted at his crazy life before converting.’

While Islam spoke about personal experiences, Badawi, who opened the conference, explained the political aspects of the Muslim world. He spoke without a microphone, using an informal but intense presence to personally reach the audience members.

Badawi opened by pointing out that while Muslims in Britain are often lumped into one group, they actually represent backgrounds from Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent, each with different cultural interpretations of the Muslim faith. He stressed that knowledge of each of these cultures is crucial to understanding Muslim culture and its interactions with Western lifestyles.

The overriding message of Badawi’s many points and anecdotes was that open discussion is the best way to resolve friction between cultures.

‘Dialogue is the alternative to fighting,’ Badawi said, ‘and the alternative to non-dialogue is, in the end, hostility.’ He said that in his work with university students, he supported them when they shouted and argued with each other, because after shouting, you reach understanding.

Angela Ayala, a senior political science major, said she found Badawi interesting because he explained about variety in the Muslim world, and that there is also a lot of similarity between Islam and the West.

The daylong symposium also included presentations on the influence of Islam on British food, literature and architecture, as well as two panel discussions. While students gave praise for the keynote speakers, some where not as pleased with the cultural presentations. The presenters spoke mostly about narrow topics, including late 16th century Turkish plays and Islamic gardens.

‘I wish she had talked more about contemporary struggles, because a lot of it was very academic,’ said Jon Chonko, a junior in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, when referring to Emma Clarke, who spoke about architecture.

Lurowist agreed, adding that the presentation on literature was ‘very specific – a little beyond my knowledge.’

Both Strauss and Cook, though, were pleased with the day’s events. Strauss called the symposium a tremendous success, while Cook admitted that some of the issues raised during discussion surprised him.

‘I was surprised by the difficulty of (defining) terms like Islam, Muslim and multiculturalism,’ Cook said. ‘We really need to stop and unpick words like ‘diversity.”

Published on November 14, 2005 at 12:00 pm