Students and faculty came together and discussed steps to create a safe space for the Muslim community on our campus at a meeting on Tuesday, March 21 in the Stadium Room above the bookstore.

The Trump Administration passed Executive Order 13769 also coined as the “Muslim Ban” on Jan. 27 of this year.

The room was lively while they discussed the question: “What are your concerns regarding politics, political action and changes that affect the Muslim community?”

“We are a part of the school and we are trying to get our education just as the others,” Aleem Salam, 19, Business Management and Finance Major said. “I just want people to know about our religion so that they can take it outside of the school.”

Besides education one main topic that Muslim students struggle with is the idea of politics being tied in with their religion.

“People usually go straight to politics on, ‘why your religion does this and that’ but instead they asked more deeper questions,” Abdul Razak, 20, Psychobiology major said. “To see that people were concerned and people wanted to show support, taking time out of their day to listen.”

Faculty, members of ASO, counselors, and psychologists were present at the event.

“The major difference between El Camino and UCLA is that at (EC) you have a smaller knit community, there is a larger plausibility for change,” Junaidean, 21, Gender Studies Major said.

The dialogue series continues with its next event “Black in America” on Tuesday, April 25 in the Alondra Room.

Dialogue series facilitator and English Professor, Rachel Williams, said through out the last year students have felt vulnerable from the political climate.

“It is the campus responsibility to take care of the student’s well-being,” Williams said.

Greg Toya, director of the Student Development Office, declined to be interviewed without the approval of Ann Garten El Camino’s Community Relations Director.

Click here to view the list of the upcoming dialogue series.