On April 6, 2016, KARAMAH hosted a group of 40 students from the Manhattan Country School. The students came to Washington D.C. to participate in the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association National Day of Action and were involved in an activism project to advocate on behalf of Syrian refugees.
Aisha Rahman, Executive Director of KARAMAH, worked with the students on several topics to help them understand the myriad issues which can make difficult the process of accessing justice, especially for immigrants. This, the students learned, includes complications with legal status and language barriers. “Everyone should have access to justice and should not be marginalized because of gender, religion, or other factors,” Ms. Rahman explained. KARAMAH engaged the students by leading them through a case study. The Manhattan Country School students analyzed the case based on a few facts; the KARAMAH team was impressed with the students’ ability to be analytical and examine complex issues such as sexism, racism, legal status, poverty, and language access. After analyzing the case, the students turned to KARAMAH for “Busting Myths.” During this sessions, the students had an opportunity to freely ask questions about Islam and Muslim life in the United States. KARAMAH spoke to the students in particular about Muslim women, the stereotypes and negative perceptions associated with Islam and women, and the distinction between those stereotypes and the religion, which preaches equity and empowerment of women in all spheres of social, political, spiritual, and personal life.
The program was an opportunity for the students to enhance their scope of the contextual issues intersecting with the plight of Syrian refugees. KARAMAH hopes that the students completed their mission with a stronger understanding of Muslims, immigration, and the US legal system.
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