“Do I look like a terrorist to you?”  Zohra Sarwari asked the audience. Sarwari is a Muslim author, speaker, businesswoman, and life coach. Thursday, April 5 she came with her family to Southwest Minnesota State University to talk about the Islamic faith and her book “No! I’m Not A Terrorist!”
“My goal is to teach people about Islam and break the stereotypes,” she said about her mission. Her methods may be a little heavy for some, but they drive the point home. “Should I judge every Christian on the crusades? No. Just because 100 people are crazy, that doesn’t mean the rest of the millions of people with something in common with them are crazy too.”
She spoke to the full audience about the teachings of Islam, the idea that Muslim women are oppressed, and the media portrayal of Muslim terrorist vs. terrorists of different faiths. Her energetic and open nature kept everyone engaged and interested. She read from the Bible, Torah, and Quran to relate to all faiths. She also talked about buzz words the media uses without proper context like “Sharia law” and “jihad.”
Students were invited to ask her questions about Islam and her career and beliefs. There was also traditional food served by the Muslim Students Association. Sarwari had her books for sale, and free quote cards and CDs for those who came. The students, staff, and community of SMSU welcomed Sarwari with open arms and open minds and learned a lot from this inspiring speaker.