Expanding Horizons and Building Awareness

The Expanding Horizons & Building Awareness Project was a week of lectures, films, workshops, and school visitations organized to promote U.S.-Muslim cultural understanding.

The project was held in conjunction with International Week at the University of Montana (UM) and the events were highlighted in International Week posters and publicity. Participants included UM faculty, students, Muslim Student Association members, and members of the Missoula Community. Overall, events were well attended by both students and community members.

It was organized as a week-long cultural and educational event for the purpose of bringing a deeper understanding of the Islamic world's peoples, cultures, and politics to a broader audience of the greater Montana community. In particular, the project aimed to address the following questions:

• Who are the people of the Islamic world?
• Who are the Muslim fundamentalists who perpetuate terrorist attacks against the United States and what do they hope to achieve? Why do they hate us?
• What are the historical causes for this hatred of the West?

The project also aimed to present the Islamic world as the vast, culturally rich region that it is, and to accurately portray its rich history, natural resources, and geopolitical importance.