ARC student Brett Spencer talks about being upset by the way the anti-Islamic activists, who were on campus on Nov. 17, presented themselves to ARC students. The brave space on deconstructing religious stereotypes took place on Tuesday (Photo by Jordan Schauberger)

Following recent events on the American River College campus involving anti-Islamic activists, students and faculty came together in the Student Center on Tuesday to engage in a Brave Space dialogue on challenging and deconstructing religious stereotypes.  

The Brave Space was put on by the Center for Leadership and Development and led by Roderick Agbunag, who is a counselor at the Unite Center.

ASB adviser Juan Miguel Blanco said that there were several students upset with activists and that they were right to push back.

“Who defines when free speech shifts gears and becomes hate speech?,” Blanco questioned. “I think those conversations are happening now.”

Brett Spencer, who is an ARC student and volunteer at the Community and Diversity Center, said that he was really upset by the activists.

“I was upset because I felt like they (the anti-Islamic activists) were aggressively trying to put these hateful remarks to push a very xenophobic agenda onto people,” Spencer said. “I don’t think that anybody should have to walk through this campus and have this type of material shoved into their hands without being invited.”

Frankie Johnson, Student personnel assistant for the CL&D, responded to Spencer’s comments by clarifying the accessibility of ARC’s campus to non– students.

“Anybody can come onto the campus and there are rules and regulations that they have to follow. … They cannot accost folks and stop their forward progress,” Johnson said. “However, they do not have to check in with us (the CL&D) that they’re on campus.”

ARC student Mariya Ahmadi said that she often struggles to feel comfortable at ARC because, as a Muslim, incidents such as the one involving the anti-Islamic activists scare her.

“It sucks growing up in a community that so looks down upon Muslims,” Ahmadi said. “People shouldn’t have to worry that, if they step outside wearing a hijab, they’ll be looked down upon.”

In response to the anti-Islamic activists, ARC student and Muslim Burak Kocal held a silent protest.

Kocal stood with a blindfold wrapped around his head while holding up a sign that asked those passing by to hug him if they agreed that Muslims should be treated with respect.

ARC student Jalene Thomas, who had seen Kocal’s protest, expressed that the incident moved her.

“When I saw the man who was blindfolded, I got really emotional because, as a society, we pinpoint a religion into a specific a category and not everyone falls into that category,” Thomas said. “I gave him a hug and said ‘Thank you for having your message out there and let people know that you’re not all that same.’ ”

A common thread throughout the Brave Space was the importance of education regarding religion.

“I think it’s extremely important that, before we judge and prejudge, we do our own research,” Johnson said. “It’s opportunity to learn and know what’s going own around us before we point fingers and judge.”

Spencer reiterated Johnson’s remarks, and related it back to his response to the incident involving remarks in which Los Rios Student Trustee Cameron Weaver expressed doubt that the Holocaust took place.

“When Mr. Weaver made remarks regarding the Holocaust, several students approached and asked what I was going to do about it,” Spencer said. “So, I gathered information on what Holocaust denial is and was able to present my stance to the Student Senate with a packet of information.”

ARC student Asher Hamilton said that opportunities such as this Brave Space are a chance for everyone to dig deeper into issues of religious discrimination.

“We’re dealing with people who are having tragedies in their own lives with poverty, undereducation and lack of acceptance,” Hamilton said. “All these situations tie together to create a person that sometimes you and I are confused with. Those are the things that really become a larger landscape where people lose their lives or people lose their rights.”

Agbunag said, following the meeting, that the Unite center and himself are hoping to have more Brave Spaces, like this one, next semester to continue the discussion going forward.