By Christine Won

Staff writer

In light of recent world events, the Muslim community invited Yusuf Estes, a retired Muslim Chaplain for the United States Bureau of Prisons, to speak on campus. The event is sponsored by the Muslim Women’s Outreach, the Muslim Students Association, the Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.In light of recent world events, the Muslim community invited Yusuf Estes, a retired Muslim Chaplain for the United States Bureau of Prisons, to speak on campus. The event is sponsored by the Muslim Women’s Outreach, the Muslim Students Association, the Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

“The event seeks to present a unique perspective to debunk misconceptions about Islam,” said Hebah Ahmed, communications director for Muslim Women’s Outreach.

Estes, 63, a former Christian preacher and music minister, was previously known as “Skip Estes” before he accepted Islam in 1991.

In the early 1980s, Estes and his father were actively working in the Christian church recording praise tapes to give to people in hospitals or nursing and retirement homes. Estes met an Egyptian man, a Muslim whom he wanted to convert, through his father. A long relationship ensued and by the end, Estes and his father, who became an ordained minister in the 1970s, converted to Islam.

“I sincerely hope that people come away with a better understanding about real Islam and who the Muslims are,” Estes said in a phone interview.

Estes will be addressing how Islam should be understood and the history of Prophet Muhammad.

“It is to show how strong Islam is as a religion,” said Sabia Bekal, vice president of Muslim Women’s Outreach. “It’s a teaching in Islam for the West and the Muslims who practice Islam but don’t have a profound standing in Islamic faith.”

Estes, a Texas native born into a Christian family, is the epitome of what would be the stereotypical American, Ahmed said.

“When people see that-the shock of putting him and Islam together-that countering image challenges the stereotypes,” she said.

Stereotypes that Muslim women are oppressed or all Muslims are terrorists, violent and militant are the misconceptions the Muslim community is trying to actively dispel, Bekal said.

“A lot of Muslims in this community have been victims of harassment and misunderstanding,” said Lisa Aykal, a member of the Muslim Women’s Outreach. “People will automatically assume you’re a suicide bomber.”

The billboards put up around Champaign-Urbana to promote the event were trying to address the wrong idea that all Muslims are terrorists, Ahmed said.

Against a black background, the bold red letters of the word terrorists stand out. Playing on the stereotypes, the billboard reads, “Kidnappers? Terrorists? Hijackers? Why preachers and priests are accepting Islam.”

The billboard’s creative design was first met with hesitancy from Adams Outdoor Advertising because of its provocative design where the relatively larger word “terrorists” jumps out.

“Once I gained further intelligence about the organization and the message behind the event, I saw the application behind the creative execution,” said Bob Lord, general manager of Adams.

Dialogue eliminated automatic stereotyping and potential discrimination, Ahmed said.

“This gives me hope,” she said. “It shows that if the Muslim community unites, we can create a much more tolerant and beneficial atmosphere for not just Muslims, but anybody of minority.”