Fazila Mahmood shares her experiences from an International Visitor program (June 12, 2008)
Fazila Mahmood, a student at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, was nominated for a three-week visit to the United States with the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Program. The visit to the U.S. sought to educate young Muslim leaders from around the world about U.S. political, social and educational issues. Here are some of her impressions:
"Our impression of the U.S. is in most cases the reflection of what we see in TV series and Hollywood movies. Still, there are a lot of aspects that aren’t visible enough, such as what it's like to live as a Muslim in a country as huge as the USA? What challenges the American people are facing, and what are the major issues that are discussed? In my opinion the best way to get the proper picture of any issue and finding the solution, is by approaching and studying it by the root, and then work through it by dialogue, communication and co-operation.
This IV program gave me, as a Muslim woman, a different and broader perspective on American citizens, their priorities and how the legal and the political systems function. The three week trip through the U.S. consisted of visits to Washington DC, New York, Dallas, Seattle and Santa Fe.
Participating in this program were 19 candidates from 15 different countries. Through our well organized schedule, we got the opportunity to see diverse communities, have dialogues with spokespersons from different organizations and at the same time get a glimpse of hallmarks such as a NBA basketball game and a Broadway show!
I was very fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to meet inspirational and influential role models, such as Keith Ellison, the first Muslim Congressman in the U.S. and Khalid Latif, the Muslim chaplain for NYU, Princeton University and the Police Department. We visited the organization CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), that functions as a helping link between Muslims and non-Muslims and increases the understanding in practicing of Islam in different fields. In addition to that we also had a tour of the Pentagon and visited different mosques. We got an insight into the everyday lives of Americans, and how the diverse communities work for a deeper understanding and acceptance of people from different backgrounds.
I’m highly grateful to the American Embassy that gave me the opportunity to participate in this program, and gave me an experience for life! I got to know the most incredible people; such as my colleagues who all were very competent and completed our group as a team, and not to mention our escorts who were excellent and most caring. By an informative and inspiring travel, my motivation for future projects and dialoguing has increased. The necessity of IV programs is most fundamental not only for the participants, but also for the whole society."