West Windsor— Close to 100 township workers and emergency responders attended a symposium hosted by the West Windsor Police Department focused on learning about Islam and Muslim culture, police said.
The four-day event took place last month at the Princeton Junction Fire Department and featured daily speakers from the Institute of Islamic Studies in East Windsor, covering aspects of the Islamic religion, cultural practices and sensitivities of the Muslim community.
"I would say I made new friends,'' said Sgt. Mark Lee, who helped organize the event. "We're building bridges of understanding.''
The Institute of Islamic Studies has been located on Princeton Hightstown Road in East Windsor for nearly 20 years and last year broke ground on a new mosque to be built at 2030 Old Trenton Road in West Windsor.
Tahir Zafar, the institute's board chairman, said working to build trust between police and the communities they serve helps both sides. Learning about Muslim culture, given the current political climate, is especially important, Zahar said.
"Without the trust of the community, law enforcement can't function," Zahar said. "We all have to work together to build that trust.''
The Islamic Center members served as speakers, covering topics like traditional Muslim dress, the timing and meaning of Muslim prayer, religious holidays and Muslim obligations, Zahar said.
"We learned, they learned, I learned,'' Lee said. "I can't begin to put into words how good this was.''
Lee said he learned about the hajib, the traditional head covering worn by Muslim women. He said some officers asked about removing it from arrestees because it could be a strangulation risk.
Members of the institute said the hajib could be removed in certain circumstances, so long as there is something covering the head.
Lee said there was a frank discussion of Muslim radicalization and extremism, and members of the institute explained that although ISIS and other extremist groups grab the headlines, the vast majority of Muslim people denounce violence, especially violence committed in the name of Islam.
"I could give an analogy, it's like the thought that every police officer is involved in a Ferguson-type of thing, so every cop is like that,'' Lee said. "It's a generalization and it's pigeonholing everybody.''
It was the first time the institute put on a symposium on Islam, and Zahar said he thought the event went well, drawing a surprising number of people.
"We were pleasantly surprised,'' Zafar said. "It was very, very engaging and we think this could be a real model for other townships.''
Source: NJ.times
