The Justice

Chapels Field-so named because of the Protestant, Jewish and Catholic chapels there-does not have a space for Muslim worship. Muslims historically have not constituted a large population at Brandeis, so it makes sense to have a proportionally smaller space designated for us. Recently, the number of Muslim students, as well as that of those interested in learning about Islam, has risen. The small, windowless suite in the bowels of Usdan is getting to be claustrophobic; we are compelled to move to the International Lounge for Friday prayers due to our larger congregation of worshipers and visitors. Lack of natural light and flushing noises from the women's bathroom with which we share a wall make it a place less than ideal for reflection and prayer.

I don't mean to grumble unnecessarily, but I want to convey the conditions under which the Muslim community operates. With this in mind, you can certainly imagine our joy, relief and enthusiasm when the University told us about a complete renovation of the Muslim Students Association suite. After renovations, the suite is beautiful, with newly carpeted floors and a refurbished kitchen. Most notably, the MSA suite has an area to comfortably perform wudu, pre-prayer ablutions. We were grateful for Brandeis' generosity, and soon the suite became a much more popular place for us to relax, do our homework, pray and hang out. We decorated the suite with bright colors, artwork and cute flowers from IKEA, and we spent days painting the walls a perfect shade of blue.

So our shock is understandable when just weeks after an expensive and long-awaited renovation, the MSA suite was found damaged. Seriously, what is the point of trying to pry open a painted-over door with utensils? What purpose is there in stealing the imam's Quran? Why on earth would someone go through the trouble of upturning every single lamp in the room and unplugging all the appliances? Most of our books hadn't been relocated from the Chaplaincy storage to our suite yet; had they been, there's no telling what else might have been done. Sure, it could have been worse, but it was hurtful to see a place that just went through renovation subject to any sort of harm when we were so careful to not even spill a drop of juice on the carpet. There is a sense of mutual respect for spaces, even more so for spaces considered holy.

The MSA members weren't the only ones annoyed. Any student who knew about what happened responded indignantly and even angrily. People understood and empathized with the resentment that we felt and defensively decried the vandalism. It was incredibly touching to find fellow Brandeisians, who otherwise are unaffiliated with the MSA, feel a connection to the suite simply because it is a shared space at our university. At the vigil on Friday, the Peace Circle was overflowing with people ranting, reassuring and uniting in their anger to achieve a goal of peace, acceptance and comfort.

Even so, newspapers around the area reported on the vandalism against the MSA and coincidentally added phrases like "Brandeis has one of the highest proportions of Jewish students in the state." Was that supposed to be suggesting something? Instead of engaging in simple empathy and reassurance, some proceeded to make this incident yet another arena for discussing the politics that have become part of recent Muslim and Jewish history. Surely, Brandeis is just as susceptible as other places in terms of stereotypes, suspicion, distrust, misconceptions and the whole slew of human-to-human communication failures. Surely a single incident should not erroneously color all such problems as those particular to Brandeis University.

Certainly no one will deny that at Brandeis, Muslims are socially and administratively underrepresented, and minority status comes with its own set of perpetual problems and need for continual outspokenness and activism. But I've met more open-minded people at Brandeis than my mosque in Worcester, my high school in Shrewsbury, my home in India and my communities around the world. Am I glorifying nonexistent comforts or being oblivious to political tensions? Am I just inherently a more relaxed person than an indignant one? No. A typical conversation at Brandeis may certainly mean a polarizing disagreement, an angering comment, a hearty debate or an awkward acknowledgment. But somehow, in spite or because of such diversity in our perspectives and the sincerity with which we engage with others, we are a community continually pushing for progress. At Brandeis, I'm home.

Editor's note: The writer is an officer at large of the Muslim Students Association.

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