USC panel takes aim at Islamophobia

A panel of scholars put Islamophobia in its crosshairs Thursday night at the University of South Carolina.

Professors from three South Carolina colleges for more than an hour discussed the fear of and bigotry against Islam and Muslims in America and urged the roughly three dozen people listening to be understanding and tolerant.

“Today, we need dialogue in light of the long, global history of tensions and wars between Christians and Muslims,” said the Rev. James Thomas, a professor at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia. “The only way to move forward is dialogue.”

The discussion was timely, panelists said, because of recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels and San Bernandino, Calif., plus months of anti-Muslim rhetoric from Republican presidential candidates.

“We see the issue of Islamophobia rising to the front of national attention,” said Jedidiah Anderson, a professor at Wofford College. “We see the campaigns of Ted Cruz, of Donald Trump. We see the demagoguery that they expose.”

Caroline Nagel, director of USC’s Islamic World Studies Program, zeroed in on GOP presidential hopeful Ted Cruz’s suggestion last month that Americans should “empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized.”

Nagle cited research that Muslims typically integrate seamlessly into American society and that just a tiny number around the world are extremists. She said Cruz and other GOP candidates have tried to capitalize on fear born out of centuries-long tensions between Christians and Muslims.

“I would argue from my own political bias that they are pandering,” Nagle said.

Panelists encouraged further dialogue between Christians and Muslims, including more discussions like the one Thursday night, and more open-mindedness.

“If we can agree to talk, then we must also agree to listen and to reflect on each other’s words,” Thomas said.

Many students, such as 19-year-old freshman Veronica Gray, and others who attended, shared the panel’s opinions and frustrations.

“I try to get all my friends to come to these things,” the Myrtle Beach native said. “We need to learn about these things before we make judgments.”

Sophomore Bamberg native Matt Maxwell told the panel about a time he received backlash on Facebook after posting a video about the pros and cons of resettling Syrian refugees in America.

Theodore DuBose, a 58-year-old Columbia resident, left the discussion saying Midlands officials should publicly support Muslims and Syrian refugees.

“I think progressive Christians and progressive politicians need to do a good job of making their voices heard on this,” said Dubose.

But some lamented people who could have learned from the discussion didn’t attend.

“They were preaching to the choir,” said 66-year-old Columbia resident Galen McWilliams. “That’s the problem.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 10:35 PM with the headline "USC panel takes aim at Islamophobia."