Recent tragic events of terrorism and discrimination have been occurring all around the world, the United States, and even our own campus. Instead of showing signs of weakness in light of these troubles, UConn students have been resilient, uniting together as one in the name of peace.
Syed Saud, a junior pre-dental student studying molecular & cellular biology, is also the treasurer of the Muslim Students Association, and fundraising chair of Honors Council.
Syed speaking at the Global Suffering Vigil on November 18, 2015.
He has recently tacked on a new passion: he has discovered the power of activism and aims to put an end to Islamophobia while promoting a peaceful and tolerant community.
Advocate for Change
Syed has recently given a number of speeches to fight injustice at events held at UConn, including the Global Suffering vigil and Solidarity for Mizzou Speak Out. NBC Connecticut, The Daily Campus, as well as The Tab UConn have interviewed him.
He wants to educate the public on ways to combat Islamophobia through acceptance, and wants students to be more comfortable to ask questions about what they don’t know instead of being afraid.
“I’ve noticed a lot more interest from students after the Paris attacks. People aren’t just going to the vigil, lighting a candle, and moving on. They’re curious, and that opens up a great conversation.” Syed said.
He feels that UConn students are connected now more than ever. Many are realizing this bond and are trying to make a change together.
“Those who face prejudice from being Muslim are the same as those who face prejudice from being black, Hispanic, Asian. Anyone can be a victim of discrimination,” he said.
UConn students lighting candles at the Global Suffering Vigil. (Photo by Jason Jiang/The Daily Campus)
The Salaam Series
Syed is a student leader at Salaam, a new series hosted by the Asian American Cultural Center after the Chapel Hill shooting on February 10, 2015. Its vision is to raise awareness of Islamophobia and injustices taking place on campus and around the world.
‘Salaam’ is a word and salutation that means peace in many Islamic countries, making the name of the series quite fitting.
“I stumbled upon Salaam and I’ve become a big part of executing a lot of the ideas and events we have,” Syed said.
One of their successful events was about the Syrian refugee crisis.
“Around 60 or 70 people attended the event at the Hillel. We discussed the politics behind this crisis, why it’s happening, and how we can actually help them,” he said.
An impromptu vigil for the victims of tragedies occurring globally, notably in Paris and Beirut, was hosted by Salaam in conjunction with USG this past Wednesday.
“We put this event together in less than two days,” Syed said. “We were able to pull forces together to get student speakers, Angela Rola- director of the Asian American Cultural Center, Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Michael Gilbert, and many more.”
Students gathered together at the ‘Speak Out’ against racism on November 19, 2015. (Photo by Jason Jiang/The Daily Campus)
Are You a Slacktivist?
Information is spreading at rapid speeds in our era of technology. Topics can become viral instantaneously through the use of hashtags, retweets, and shares on social media platforms.
However, this form of online involvement has often been referred to by a new term- ‘Slacktivism.’
“It’s a term people are using now for what a lot of us are doing on social media,” Syed said. “We see something, it affects us, and you want to do the most you can…without getting out of bed.”
Clicking ‘like’ can only get you so far.
“Hitting that share button is excellent for raising awareness amongst your friends, but once you stop doing that, those friends see thousands of posts a day. What stops them from glancing at your post and moving on?” said Syed.
Using Facebook and Twitter to support a cause makes people feel as though they are actively supporting a social issue, however it cannot end there.
“It’s about what you do in real life that we need to start worrying about. We can retweet as much as we want, but the only thing people will know is that this is a trending topic. That’s it. Nothing will change that way.”
The Vision for the Future
“My biggest goal is to be the best being I can be. Why? Because more times than not, you attract people to yourself. If I weren’t at all an inviting and sociable person, these educational conversations I have wouldn’t happen in the first place,” said Syed.
He hopes for the Salaam series to grow into something big.
“I want big speakers to come through. Right now we’ve had amazing speakers from UConn,” he says, “but it would be great to have someone that lots of people know of, but don’t know that he/she is onboard with anti-Islamophobia. People from around the state, maybe even around the northeast would come, and it would definitely make an impact.”
Support from the public as well as activist events often pop up following a tragedy or instance of discrimination. In reality, intolerance and bigotry does not pause. It is important to keep these thoughts of solidarity in mind everyday.
“Propagate. Don’t let it stop. It’s one of my duties as a human being to invite everyone into a welcoming society where we can all succeed, without animosity,” Syed said.
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On Monday, November 30 at 7:00 PM in the Student Union, the Salaam Series will be hosting a viewing of the film Mooz-lum, a depiction of the lives of two African-American Muslim students before and after 9/11.
The movie will be followed by a discussion by the director of the film, Qasim Basir. All are encouraged to attend!