Reflections on Karim's Lecture

I thought that Jamillah Karim's lecture on Becoming a Model Community was very interesting. She predominately spoke about Muslims and how she viewed the Muslim community as the model community for America.

From what Karim mentioned, the Muslim community, or "Umma," seems to be a good role model. Muslims are affluent, they perform public service, they vote in national elections, but most of all, they strive to eliminate racial divides. This theory to eliminate racial lines was fostered by Malcolm X during the 1960s. Malcolm stated that after he performed his hajj to Mecca, he found that all men and women appeared equal because they all looked alike while making the pilgrimiage. Therefore, it was impossible to tell someone's background. In this sense, all Muslims are equal.

Karim stated that Islam is very accepting of others and their religions because in the end, everyone has the same future. We are all in this together. We need to work as a team and put aside our differences to make our country a better place to live.