Saaliha Khan, 19, is a sophomore at Georgetown University and an antidote to cynicism. The New Jersey-born and Karachi-raised Muslim woman moved with her family to Los Angeles shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, where she learned to patch together each of her identities in a uniquely American way. Khan serves on the executive board of the university’s Muslim Student Association, is a Georgetown Diversity Fellow with the campus ministry, and somehow found a seat at President Obama’s table at August’s White House Iftar meal celebrating the close of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. She sat down with The Washington Examiner to share thoughts on her deeply held faith, and the hopes it inspires for her generation’s future. Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith?
I am a Muslim — an American Pakistani Muslim. There’s so much I appreciate about it — it inspires me to be humble, grateful, compassionate, kind, loving and forgiving. These are all characteristics that Allah and his prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, embody — and I try to emulate them. I appreciate that Islam focuses on the importance of intention, and having positive intentions in all that you do. It’s similar to seeing God in all that you do, which is a Jesuit concept we see here at Georgetown. To have a God-consciousness, from day to day and task to task, is something I try to carry with me.
When you moved to Los Angeles from Pakistan as an 11-year-old, you faced the ignorance and taunts of your peers. If you were to see a young Muslim girl today facing the same sorts of prejudice, what would you tell her?
I would reinforce her self-confidence, because your self-esteem is questioned in those situations. The way you take comments really matters — you should be strong, keep your faith, be yourself, keep your identity, retain your roots. The prejudice is not your fault, but that of the people who misrepresent the faith. I’d tell her to be optimistic. I’d tell her you’ll face a lot of challenges and questions about your identity and your faith — that’s how it is right now. But instead of taking that as a curse, take it as a blessing, and as an opportunity to share your faith. I’d tell her that the experiences and interactions you have with other people have the power to change the perception of your faith, and of Muslim people.
How has being a Muslim woman at a Catholic university strengthened or challenged your faith?
I truly believe that coming to America, and further, coming to a Jesuit institution, has strengthened my faith because it has pushed me to think about it much more. To talk to others here of different faiths only helps me better understand my own attitudes, feelings and perspectives. There are a lot of moments when I do see the differences. It’s important to build common ground, but knowing where the differences lie is important, too — talking to my Jewish friends about concepts of the afterlife, for example — we have different concepts. I find it really intriguing — I won’t shy away from that conversation, but I won’t be disrespectful, either. It’s about communication and connection, which is partially why we’re here in college, right? And in the world.
And being at Georgetown, I’ve found so many overlaps between the faiths. The prophet Muhammad has a saying that the best among you are those who are most useful to others. And our Ignatian values at Georgetown teach “men and women for others.” In fact, the school’s Jesuit background help convinced me to come here.
College students are often regarded as naive and idealistic, especially in hard-bitten Washington, D.C. What’s your attitude about that attitude?
People will say, “You’re young, no one will take you seriously.” I changed that mind-set from an early age, and decided to be very proactive, and to make a difference. Our generation is so bright, so innovative. We’ve been exposed to so much earlier in life than past generations. There’s more room for prejudice, but there’s also this incredible space for breaking down stereotypes and removing the barriers that have been put up before us.
At your core, what is one of your defining beliefs?
I believe in Allah. I believe in his message of love, compassion and respect. I believe in the power of giving, of dreaming, of smiling — I believe in unconditional love. I believe ultimately in trying to see the oneness in all things, and in realizing taqwa, or God-consciousness.
– Leah Fabel
