Dear Reader,
The first thing that many people ask you when they meet, especially on a college campus, is where are you from? This question seems like a no brainer to many, but to some, this question can be very difficult. This is the case for me. I grew up moving around, living in four different countries, and having about ten different ways to answer that question, depending on the person. But I am not the only one with a hard time answering questions like this. It seems to me that anyone from a different country gets scrutinized as soon as they answer that question. They are poked and prodded, and must answer a boatload of questions about what their country is like, how they like America, and many more.
This seems to be true for religions as well. Unfortunately, some minority religions, in many countries including the United States, are persecuted, looked down upon, or scorned because of their religion. This is especially true with Muslims in America, and Christians in any Muslim country. Growing up, I had always learned that it didn’t matter what religion you were. Maybe that was because of my parents, or simply the context I grew up in, but whatever the reason, I thought everyone was as accepting as me. I could not get my head around radicals until I was in Turkey, at a soccer tournament.
The tournament was mainly international students, who were of all different religions and backgrounds, including some Turkish students. It was on the very edge of the capital, in a very rural area that did not have much contact with the city itself. Across the street from the tournament was a school, full of Turks. They decided to come over and ask the Turkish Muslims among us why they would consider talking to Christians. I was appalled. But it also opened my eyes to how someone so sheltered could have these beliefs. Ever since then I have wanted to change perceptions around religion, especially concerning the divide between Christians and Muslims.
Through this research I hope to teach others how to talk about this issue and how to help others accept new religions. If students are able to talk about their religions and learn about others, they will be more able to fully understand their own faith. Hopefully, through these books and other resources I provide you with, you are able to open up a child’s, or even your own mind, to new ideas that change your way of thinking. This can be a great tool for anyone who wants to learn more about religion, teach their children about religious diversity, or even help them understand their own faith better.
I sincerely hope you look at the ideas I present here and learn from it too. I truly care about getting this knowledge out into the public’s sphere, because I believe it is underrepresented here. On the next page, you will find an informational essay, which is full of good information about discrimination in schools today and how we can fix it. More importantly, I have included many ideas for how to create more equality in schools.
Clara Hamilton
P.S. If you have time, will you fill out the survey at the bottom
The first thing that many people ask you when they meet, especially on a college campus, is where are you from? This question seems like a no brainer to many, but to some, this question can be very difficult. This is the case for me. I grew up moving around, living in four different countries, and having about ten different ways to answer that question, depending on the person. But I am not the only one with a hard time answering questions like this. It seems to me that anyone from a different country gets scrutinized as soon as they answer that question. They are poked and prodded, and must answer a boatload of questions about what their country is like, how they like America, and many more.
This seems to be true for religions as well. Unfortunately, some minority religions, in many countries including the United States, are persecuted, looked down upon, or scorned because of their religion. This is especially true with Muslims in America, and Christians in any Muslim country. Growing up, I had always learned that it didn’t matter what religion you were. Maybe that was because of my parents, or simply the context I grew up in, but whatever the reason, I thought everyone was as accepting as me. I could not get my head around radicals until I was in Turkey, at a soccer tournament.
The tournament was mainly international students, who were of all different religions and backgrounds, including some Turkish students. It was on the very edge of the capital, in a very rural area that did not have much contact with the city itself. Across the street from the tournament was a school, full of Turks. They decided to come over and ask the Turkish Muslims among us why they would consider talking to Christians. I was appalled. But it also opened my eyes to how someone so sheltered could have these beliefs. Ever since then I have wanted to change perceptions around religion, especially concerning the divide between Christians and Muslims.
Through this research I hope to teach others how to talk about this issue and how to help others accept new religions. If students are able to talk about their religions and learn about others, they will be more able to fully understand their own faith. Hopefully, through these books and other resources I provide you with, you are able to open up a child’s, or even your own mind, to new ideas that change your way of thinking. This can be a great tool for anyone who wants to learn more about religion, teach their children about religious diversity, or even help them understand their own faith better.
I sincerely hope you look at the ideas I present here and learn from it too. I truly care about getting this knowledge out into the public’s sphere, because I believe it is underrepresented here. On the next page, you will find an informational essay, which is full of good information about discrimination in schools today and how we can fix it. More importantly, I have included many ideas for how to create more equality in schools.
Clara Hamilton
P.S. If you have time, will you fill out the survey at the bottom