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| Hijab Forum held at the Student Events Center at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus on Nov. 9. |
On August 31 a student at Salt Lake Community College was disrespected on campus for wearing a hijab. In the Islamic religion, a hijab is head and body covering typically worn by Muslim women. In response the Bias Response Team (BRT) collaborated with the Global Connections and Kurdish Student clubs to hold a panel discussion on Wednesday, Nov. 9.
The purpose of the event was to help others learn more about the hijab. The panel was made up of hijab-wearing student and staff member, along with Dr. Kamal Bewar, Student Success coordinator and advisor to both clubs, to discuss the practices and meanings of hijab-wearing in local and global communities.
Kamal expressed that this issue affects him because it affects his students. “I know a lot of you in this room, you care about this topic, and you care about inclusivity and diversity that we have at this institution,” says Kamal. “We, as staff members, have a duty to support persons experiencing discrimination, not just as staff and faculty but as a human being.”
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| Hijab forum panelists Rawya Bashir, Deeba Hameedi and Dr. Kamal Bewar. |
One of the panelists, Rawya Bashir, an SLCC student majoring in pre-med said, “The only difference [between you and me] is I cover my hair. You don't. That's it. There is no other difference.” Rawya expressed that she has many of the same dreams and beliefs as her Christian friends. She wants to be a doctor and help people but also hopes that people respect her beliefs as she respects theirs.
Deeba Hameedi, an administrative assistant in enrollment management and another one of the panelists, shared some personal experiences of wearing a hijab and talked about the support she has felt since coming from Afghanistan and working at SLCC. Pointing out into the audience, Deeba said, “Here is my boss sitting here, and here are my colleagues sitting here, and they all support me. They are working hard every day and I see in every meeting how they focus on supporting students.”
Deeba Hameedi, an administrative assistant in enrollment management and another one of the panelists, shared some personal experiences of wearing a hijab and talked about the support she has felt since coming from Afghanistan and working at SLCC. Pointing out into the audience, Deeba said, “Here is my boss sitting here, and here are my colleagues sitting here, and they all support me. They are working hard every day and I see in every meeting how they focus on supporting students.”
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| Alonso Reyna Rivarola |
Other speakers included Dr. Mohamed Shwani, a professor at Utah Valley University, who talked about the meaning of the hijab and read from the Quran, and Alonso Reyna Rivarola, senior director for Institutional Equity, Inclusion and Transformation and BRT co-chair. He expressed how the BRT was shocked when they heard about the incident.
“First and foremost, we are grateful for the student who reported the incident. We know that it's really difficult to come forward, especially as a minoritized person, expressing the injustices we're facing,” says Alonso. “So, thank you for people who are stepping in and stepping up and reporting these incidents because that helps us become a better place.”
He explained that BRT includes representatives from the Dean of Students Office, Institutional Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, among others, who review and strategize how to address reported incidents of bias and discrimination that impact the SLCC community. Using a restorative justice model, the BRT reviews any incident reports and works to provide appropriate responses based on the nature of the incident.
The response, in this instance, was to work with the students of Global Connection and to “organize an event that could help us not only express what had happened but also help teach our campus how to become a better campus,” says Alonso.
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| Candida Mumford |
During the question-and-answer portion of the event students, faculty and staff took to the mic to ask questions about how they could be more supportive of those who wear the hijab. Alonso and Candida Mumford, dean of students and assistant vice president, were at the forum to help answer questions about SLCC's response.
Other senior leaders, unable to attend due to a conflict with a board of trustees meeting and diversity training, expressed their support for the forum
“Creating a welcoming, inclusive environment is a top priority for SLCC. The diversity among our student body is something we are proud of and value—we want students to show up as themselves and feel that this is a safe space to be themselves. Part of creating that safe space is educating people and increasing understanding about what might be different or unfamiliar to them. This was one of the goals of the Hijab Forum,” says Chuck Lepper, vice president of Student Affairs.
Salt Lake Community College is committed to fostering a safe and welcoming campus for all students and employees. If you experience any bias or discrimination on campus, please report it here.
The forum was recorded and can be viewed here.
“Creating a welcoming, inclusive environment is a top priority for SLCC. The diversity among our student body is something we are proud of and value—we want students to show up as themselves and feel that this is a safe space to be themselves. Part of creating that safe space is educating people and increasing understanding about what might be different or unfamiliar to them. This was one of the goals of the Hijab Forum,” says Chuck Lepper, vice president of Student Affairs.
Salt Lake Community College is committed to fostering a safe and welcoming campus for all students and employees. If you experience any bias or discrimination on campus, please report it here.
The forum was recorded and can be viewed here.
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