Counter Memory

The event we decided to use for our counter memory was Islam Awareness Week, which took place at the University of Waterloo from March 14 - March 16 in the Student Life Center. Islam Awareness Week is run by the Muslim Students Association. The event was held to raise awareness about the current discourse around Islam and help portray the real meaning of Islam in a safe and welcoming environment. The event consisted of many things, including information booths, a myth busters’ café, a hijab station and a henna booth. From our perspective, we noticed the henna booth being the first entry point for UW students who were unaware of what was happening. I, Kulsum volunteered all three days and after the first day, realized that the entry point for …show more content…
Many students who walked by, stopped to get their henna done, because of its beauty and while getting their henna done, asked questions around what was going on. In this case the counter memory becomes the henna tattoo. The henna is used to talk about a greater issue that is being overlooked. The idea that the beauty of the henna masks the bitter truth towards Islam in this setting. By allowing people to put on henna, we are able to create a dialogue that people wouldn’t usually chime in …show more content…
As noted, the power that comes with social media can be used to create a tactic, which is why for the second part of our counter memorial, we decided to share our analysis on a blog post. Unspokenwords4.wordpress.com is a blog started by myself, Kulsum, to talk about the beauty of Islam and what it means to be a muslim. Due to the success in change of perspectives, we chose to take a step further and create this discourse outside of the university setting and to share what we learned from this experience. (CAN YOU CHECK THIS @KAREN) -- DO YOU