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UCLA alumna Lynn Salahi speaks at a forum during last year’s Islamic Awareness Week.

Students and faculty are gearing up this weekend in preparation for Islamic Awareness Week, scheduled to begin Monday.

Events will be put on by the Muslim Student Association to promote understanding and to disperse common misconceptions of the Islamic religion.

MSA members plan to man booths and set up posters along Bruin Walk every day next week, and hold informational forums each evening to educate students.

“We are trying to tell people in our own words what Islam really is,” said Mariam Jukaku, MSA president and third-year computer science student.

“We hope to dispel different myths about our religion, which concern topics such as terrorism and oppression of women.”

Students at MSA booths will discuss key Islamic beliefs and share personal stories with UCLA peers. Nightly educational programs are also scheduled to discuss issues such as Muslim contributions to western civilization (Thursday) and the true significance of the head scarf worn by Muslim females (Tuesday).

Islam, an Arabic word meaning submission to the will of god, promotes ideals of harmony with everything and submission to the creator Allah, Jukaku said.

But, she continued, media and government coverage of past events such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have skewed public perception of the religion.

“A lot of the time, Muslims are portrayed as terrorists who like to kill people,” Jukaku said. “Definitely, some are crazy and extreme, but for the most part, Muslims in America are not taught to hate.”

Many students are excited about next week’s proceedings, and look forward to learning more about Islam.

“I’m glad they are trying to raise awareness because people have incorrect concepts of Muslims, especially since 9/11,” said third-year biology student James Yi.

Other misconceptions may include issues such as female oppression and violence.

Some people view the head covering worn by many Islamic women as a representation of control and male dominance, but it is actually an important religious symbol, Jukaku said.

A recent proposal in the French Parliament called for a ban of all religious symbols in schools. If passed, this proposal would prevent Islamic women from wearing traditional head scarves in schools run by the French government. MSA members said they hope to discuss the potential ramifications of this proposal in the Tuesday evening forum.

Other students anticipate the week’s events, viewing them as an opportunity to discuss issues affecting the Islamic community.

“It’s good to raise awareness, and I’m excited because I don’t have a lot of knowledge about Islam,” said fourth-year communication studies student Lindy Wagner.

Wagner said she is open to finding out about the significance of head scarves.

“I look forward to learning more about it, so I can have an educated opinion,” she said.

Some students say they hope next week’s events will promote a feeling of unity above anything else.

“Basically, Muslims are just another group of people in the world. They aren’t that different from me,” said third-year psychobiology student Namrata Varma.