Press
Taking on Hate at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan “From America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far”
12/14/2017
Read the whole article on mizanproject.org »
by Huma Mohibullah
“Sixteen years after the 9/11 attacks, anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States shows no signs of waning. While the Trump administration maintains hardline approaches in dealing with national security issues, Muslims continue to be imagined as a group of medieval fanatics and high-risk individuals.1 Children, too, are affected by such political discourse; as a 2017 study showed, 42% of American Muslim school children reported being subjected to bullying by their peers, and even by their teachers.2
It is in this context of insecurity and xenophobia that the Children’s Museum of Manhattan designed its exhibition, “From America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far.” The exhibition is part of its ongoing Global Cultural Exhibits and Programs series, designed to help children learn about themselves while learning about others. “From America to Zanzibar” aims to counter the one-dimensional and prejudiced way in which Muslims are often pictured, and to instead portray their rich diversity around the world as well as right here in the United States.”
