This is the end...

That's it! Three months are over! And, tomorrow I will present the culmination of everything I have worked on thus far.

I'm really learned a lot and it's really awesome that BASIS gives seniors the opportunity to pursue a topic that interests them. Sometimes being left to your own devices can leave you stumped--at least that's how I felt. At first I didn't know what I wanted to devote my next three months to (I just had too many ideas), then, I had an idea that seemed to be a little impracticable to complete in three months time. I finally decided on the topic of Islamophobia with encouragement from my family. Not only did I learn a lot, but I'm hoping that others can take something out of my work as well.

I got a lot of interesting data from my questionnaires-- some more expected than others-- but, I was able to draw some conclusions. Ultimately, I wanted to pursue this topic to raise awareness in a world that is continuously culminating new ideologies with people who accept change and innovation, while others don't.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but some truths and misconceptions need to be clarified so that an individual's belief doesn't infringe on another's.

I feel that I have successfully analyzed some common misconceptions regarding Islam and Muslims and here is the answer I came up with regarding how we can "fix" Islamophobia:
Though education does provide a helpful background into understanding what Islam, like all information, the point of view we hold when we view history varies from person to person. A textbook might hold some facts regarding Islam but it does not delve into the stereotypes that causes millions of people to live in fear, hiding their religion. Like many of us have learned in history class, history changes and depends on which side we are on (the conqueror, the conquered; the winners, the losers). So, the best way to raise awareness is for the Muslims in this country (and others) to be open for discussion. Instead of hiding their religion, they should explain why they act or say things differently--explain if it is a religious or cultural concept (remember, even though they can be very closely connected, they are not the same!) Discussion and tolerance allows acceptance. If people only surround themselves in ideas and people that agree with them...well, that's where extremism originates.

And again, I really gained a lot of insight at working for CAIR and engaging in this project. Religion, law, psychology, sociology,public relations...I got a glimpse of it all!