Op-Ed in The Justice
Certainly no one will deny that at Brandeis, Muslims are socially and administratively underrepresented, and minority status comes with its own set of perpetual problems and need for continual outspokenness and activism. But I’ve met more open-minded people at Brandeis than my mosque in Worcester, my high school in Shrewsbury, my home in India and my communities around the world. Am I glorifying nonexistent comforts or being oblivious to political tensions? Am I just inherently a more relaxed person than an indignant one? No. A typical conversation at Brandeis may certainly mean a polarizing disagreement, an angering comment, a hearty debate or an awkward acknowledgment. But somehow, in spite or because of such diversity in our perspectives and the sincerity with which we engage with others, we are a community continually pushing for progress. At Brandeis, I’m home.