Sparked by last week's College Republicans campaign, students will be given a unique opportunity to inquire about Islam and address many of the issues raised during Islamo-fascism Awareness Week.

The Muslim Student Association (MSA) will be hosting "Ask a Muslim Night" to debunk myths and misinformation regarding Islam and provide accurate, credible information for those that have questions. The event takes place from 6-8 p.m. in Thompson 125.

"We hope to clarify misconceptions that people may have," said Zakiya Qadir, MSA vice president. "From the past two events the College Republicans have had on Wednesday and Thursday, they presented a mix between culture and Islam. We wanted to differentiate between the two and give people the chance to ask questions about things that were presented in the film and in the Medved lecture."

The panel will consist of four members, two women and two men — from a variety of backgrounds.

"The big goal is to be able to give some answers to questions people have about Islam and Muslims," MSA member Hala Dillsi said. "This will be struc-tured where there is an opportunity to discuss these issues and there is accountability and it's open."

It's not so much a rebuttal of last week's events but an extension of the dialogue that ensued under contentious, and often polarizing rhetoric and activities, like screening Suicide Killers, a documentary by Algerian-born Pierre Rehov that attempts to psychoanalyze suicide bombers (which was greeted with boos after the film was shown and accusations that the subtitles were inaccurate).

"If people have questions about the issues that came up last week [with] the movie and issues that came up about the speech, we will be able to talk about that," Dillsi said.

Qadir specifically pointed out that the film misconstrued the meaning of Jihad.

"From the film it seemed as if Jihad meant only a 'holy war,' but there is a deeper meaning. It really means 'struggle,' and that can be applied to so many things in life, like, for instance, exercise," Qadir said.

One member of tonight's panel is Capt. Ken Stewart of the U.S. Army. Stewart has been an officer in the Army for 14 years and is now a graduate student at the UW concentrating on Middle Eastern studies. Originally from Marysville, Wash., he has seen combat in Iraq for 13 months and has been stationed all over the world in places like Japan and Jordan, where he studied Middle Eastern cultures and language. A practicing Muslim for 14 years, Stewart believes he brings a unique perspective to the forum.

"It is great to be a part of this, and I am honored that they would ask me to come and chat," Stewart said. "I think I am good guy to talk about it. I have been a practicing Muslim for about 14 years and I am proud to be serving my country, so I can see both sides of the situation," Stewart said.

In Iraq, Stewart was a Civil Affairs Officer who reached out to Iraqi military and civilian leadership to try and close the gap of misunderstanding between the two cultures.

"They have the same misconceptions about us as we have about them," Stewart said. "People are generally the same wherever you go. The religion of Islam is no more exotic than Episcopalianism. Islam is an enormous world religion with an enormous amount of perspectives and worldviews all within Islam. I hope to try to help people see it that way."

Stewart had problems with how the College Republicans framed their awareness week last week. He hopes the panel forum will educate those who attend and help them realize the differences are nothing compared to the commonalities.

"It framed Islam in the worst possible light and portrayed it in a way that is very ugly. That kind of cynicism is not productive," Stewart said. "The only people that agree upon what Islam is are radicals and Republicans. There are a billion-plus Muslims scratching their heads saying, 'What are they talking about?' In reality once you get beyond these superficial things that are different, what we share and have in common is far greater. Part of what I do in my professional and personal life is to bridge the gap, but people like David Horowitz have been trying to widen the gap. I am very active in pursuing dialogue and trying to narrow that gap."

Dillsi expressed similar hope and optimism regarding the outcome of the event.

"I hope that this can begin a dialogue on campus, to have Muslim students and other students who want to know about a variety of issues engage in a discussion where we can come to understanding and trust in many different communities. I believe that's how we will begin to have progress."

[Reach reporter Garrett Troy at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]