BY ROSE HAMID – SPECIAL TO THE OBSERVER EDITORIAL BOARD
July 12, 2018 11:32 AM
Updated July 12, 2018 11:32 AM
As a Muslim who went to Cleveland during the Republican National Convention in 2016, I think Charlotte should continue to pursue its bid to host the convention in 2020.
My decision to go to Cleveland stemmed from my experience at a Trump rally in January 2016. I had attended the rally with a group of people to stand in silent protest against the use of hate speech and we were made to leave. However, while waiting for the rally to begin I was pleasantly surprised by the positive interactions I had with Trump supporters.
I sought to find more opportunities to interact with Trump supporters and others who may not know any Muslims. I decided to go to Cleveland during the Republican National Convention to engage with convention attendees, in the hopes of creating a positive image of Islam and Muslims. To that end, as a way to start a conversation, we walked up to people, said “Have a nice day.”, and handed them flower pens which we’d inscribed with the website www.SalamIComeInPeace.love (a website I created as a resource for frequently asked questions about Islam).
We were able to connect with people one on one and have respectful dialogues. I left the convention optimistic that we’d made a difference with those we’d interacted with. The violence that was feared did not materialize and I had hopes that once the election was over, people would be able to see past their differences and focus on the issues at hand.
Unfortunately, since the election, I have become disheartened by the degradation of public discourse. The attacks, on so many fronts, have been relentless. I’ve heard many people say things like “There is just no point in speaking to people who (fill in the blank)”. Not speaking to each other has left us with people yelling at and vilifying each other while refusing to listen to what others have to say.
People are afraid to talk to, let alone agree with, anyone from the “other side”. It’s as if doing so would be a betrayal of ‘their side”. But people are multi-dimensional; it shouldn’t be all or nothing. We may strongly disagree with some of our neighbor’s points of view, but if we take the time to listen to them we may find there are many things we agree upon.
Recently the debate about Charlotte hosting the Republican National Convention has become yet another divisive issue
Many suggest that the city of Charlotte rescind its offer to host the RNC because we don’t want ‘those people’ in our city. But we have to remember that 33% of Mecklenburg County and 50% of NC voted for Trump. “Those people” are here. “They” are part of “Us”. And WE have consistently expressed a desire to cut through the divisiveness and work together for the betterment of our community and our nation. Maybe what we need is opportunities to have listening sessions, in safe spaces, where people can speak their truth without being vilified.
Having the RNC in Charlotte could be the catalyst needed to work towards becoming a more cohesive community. Whether we get the convention or not, Charlotte should start now to lay the foundation of cooperation between Republicans and Democrats. Then, if we do get the convention, we can lead the way in effective public discourse.
Hamid is president of Muslim Women of the Carolinas.
www.mrsrosehamid.com. Email: mrsrosehamid@gmail.com
Click here to see edited version originally published in the Charlotte Observer