As part of the month-long series in celebration of black history, the third installment of Black History 101 consisted of a lesson on African-Americans in Islam.
Muslim Muncie natives Aamir Shabazz, Renee Conley and Buddy Love spoke to a crowd of 40 students and Muncie residents in Teachers College Wednesday on the practice of Islam and the common misconceptions that come along with the religion.
Shabazz, who was once a member of the Nation of Islam and practiced under the late Elijah Muhammad, said the most distinct difference between Islam and Christianity is the concept of God. The practice was given to the African-American community through slavery.
"(Christianity) was given to us 100 years ago, when we weren't able to worship any God," Shabazz said. "How can you take your perception of God from the same man who enslaved you?
"God is not a man. God is Allah, and is the only one worthy of our obedience."
The panel also touched on the history of Islam as recorded in the Koran and compared it to that of Christianity. They insisted that while they respect Christianity as a religion, they do not agree with all it preaches.
"In the Bible they put the sin on the woman," Shabazz said. "In the Koran we all share the sin. The man's role is no greater than the woman's."
Junior Jamie Melton said attending the session strengthened her belief in Christianity.
"The Bible says 'I will not have you to be ignorant,'" Melton said. "I got a lot of questions answered, and I saw a lot of parallels.
"It's really down to the same principles, but it's all about where your faith is."
When asked about the misconceptions surrounding the treatment of women in Islam, Conley said women are considered equal to men and are not subordinate.
"The subordinate means lesser, so that means inequality," Conley said. "In Islam, women are asked to be modest, and not wearing subjective clothing is a part of modesty.
"The Koran says Allah made men and women to be equal, and (he) gave us separate responsibilities in that equality."
Senior Lucretia Franklin said she enjoyed the session and learned a lot more about Islam than she had ever known.
"I was able to get a better understanding of the religion," Franklin said. "It got rid of a lot of misconceptions."
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