{"id":386,"date":"2018-12-06T14:14:12","date_gmt":"2018-12-06T02:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.otago.ac.nz\/international\/?p=386"},"modified":"2018-12-06T14:43:45","modified_gmt":"2018-12-06T02:43:45","slug":"fit-in-or-stand-out-a-muslim-perspective-on-life-at-otago-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.otago.ac.nz\/international\/fit-in-or-stand-out-a-muslim-perspective-on-life-at-otago-university\/","title":{"rendered":"Fit in, or stand out? A Muslim perspective on life at Otago University"},"content":{"rendered":"

How do students that choose to live their lives in the Muslim faith<\/a> feel when they come to the University of Otago<\/a>?\u00a0 Do they stand out from the crowd?\u00a0 Are their beliefs and practices respected and catered for?\u00a0 Well, that is a question I cannot answer as I am not a Muslim.\u00a0 But I have met Muslim students working here and I have an increasing interest in the way that they choose to lead their lives.\u00a0 Today we launch our international video taken from the perspective of a Muslim student studying at Otago<\/a> \u2013 so, what is it like?<\/em><\/p>\n

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My day is just like yours<\/strong><\/p>\n

These quotes were taken from anonymous Muslim writers in an article titled ‘What is it like to be a Muslim Student at Otago University’<\/a> and published by Critic in August 2016:<\/p>\n

“As a Muslim student at Otago, my day is just like yours. This is because not all Muslims come in the same packaging.<\/em> There are over a billion of us worldwide<\/a> and each is an individual. Islam<\/a> is the religion I was born into and have grown up with. For me, it is not something I consciously think about but the values that come with being Muslim are now so deeply ingrained within my identity that they are second nature<\/em>. It is something I carry with me in my interaction with other students, with the University itself and the general public.”<\/p>\n

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Diverse staff and students<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think that the point made that “not all Muslims come in the same packaging<\/em>” is something we non-Muslims need to remember.\u00a0 Don’t judge a book by its cover, and especially don’t judge a way of life that you have no understanding of.\u00a0 Reading through the articles<\/a> written and the conversations had, it is clear that Muslim students predominantly feel welcomed and accepted.<\/p>\n

“If anything, I\u2019m overwhelmed with how accepting and open-minded all of the staff and students are here. One of the first things that I noticed when I moved here was how diverse<\/em><\/a> the student body appeared to be and how nobody seemed to care about what anyone else was doing. This is one of my favourite things about this place.”<\/em><\/p>\n

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No barriers to practising beliefs<\/strong><\/p>\n

The University has two prayer rooms<\/a> with one space exclusively for the Islamic community; it faces Mecca and is split into two rooms by a curtain. This is to adhere to Islamic rules on prayer with the opposite gender.\u00a0 Halal Food is readily available in local supermarkets and there are Halal restaurants in Dunedin.<\/a>\u00a0 And if you’re wondering about connecting with other Muslim students when you come to Otago there is a range of established groups like the OMSA (Otago Malaysian Students’ Association),<\/a> the Otago Muslim Association<\/a>, and the <\/span>MUSA (University of Otago Muslim University Students’ Association).<\/a><\/p>\n

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Arina Aizal – the ‘star’ of our latest video ‘Studying at Otago – a Muslim Perspective.’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Studying at Otago – a Muslim Perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n

As for the question ‘fit in, or stand out?’ I think you’ll find that at Otago<\/a> the choice is yours…..Muslim, or not.<\/p>\n

But once again, as eluded to in the beginning of this blog post, I am not a Muslim, so therefore I cannot tell you what life as a Muslim at Otago is like.<\/p>\n

But this lovely, smart and inspiring young woman – Arina Aizal can, and she does so, so beautifully in our latest video……….take it away Arina……..<\/p>\n