Thanks to members of an adult reading group at McArthur Public Library, and Assistant Library Director Sally Leahy, a bookshelf full of books about Muslims and the Islamic religion and culture are now available at the Biddeford library.
Book group members Diane Garriepy and Roseanne Cote told the Journal Tribune recently that their interest was piqued when the group read “Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America” by Firoozeh Dumas. The group wanted even more information, and proceeded to invite Dr. Anour Majid, assistant provost for global initiatives at the University of New England and a native of Morocco, to speak on the subject.
Noting the interest, Leahy applied for a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to get more materials on the subject. McArthur was one of about 850 libraries and humanities organizations throughout the U.S. to receive a Muslim Journeys Bookshelf.
Now, the bookshelf houses 25 volumes of what the National Endowment for the Humanities calls “trustworthy and accessible resources about Muslim beliefs and practices and the cultural heritage associated with Islamic civilizations.”
In addition, the library received three films and a free year of access to the Oxford Islamic Studies Online.
This addition to the library is great for Biddeford, and its residents and visitors. Now, we hope members of the community will take advantage of the resources and read some of the books or use the other materials to learn more about Islamic culture.
Muslims live among us, and harboring stereotypes and other untrue ideas is detrimental to communities ”“ and can even cause harm if situations between people who are ignorant of one another’s culture escalate.
Just last month, a Portland man was accused of making derogatory racial comments and threatening a group of children on a playground at Reiche Elementary School in the city. He was charged with threatening and civil rights violations.
Unfortunately, Maine has experienced other racially and religiously charged hate crimes in recent years. In 2011, following the news of Osama bin Laden’s death, someone spray-painted “Osama today, Islam tomorow,” and “Go Home” on the wall of the Maine Muslim Community Center mosque in Portland.
Racial slurs, civil rights violations and hate crimes have no place in Maine, no matter the target.
Efforts like the McArthur Library’s, to help educate residents about other cultures, could go a long way in dispelling cultural stereotypes and even preventing future hate crimes as long as community members do their part to learn more about the world outside their own.
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Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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