#ShoulderToShoulder an IAS class creates a #MannequinChallenge video denouncing hate and Islamophobia - School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

An IAS class of 43 students created a response to the #MannequinChallenge as their final project. On December 8, 2016 students from BISCLA 380 Arts in Context: Contemporary Muslim Artists stood shoulder-to-shoulder, alongside other classmates, deans, faculty, and staff of the University of Washington Bothell to denounce hate and Islamophobia.

Statement on the project:

We are a class of 43 students of diverse races, religious beliefs, and political affiliations, attending the University of Washington Bothell. Brought together through “Arts In Context: Contemporary Muslim Artists” a course taught by IAS faculty member Anida Yoeu Ali, we have been inspired to bring a deeper awareness and compassion in challenging Islamophobia and the rise of anti-racial biases. In class, we discussed how the recent spike in hate crimes and campaign promises about bans and the registration of Muslims continue a post-9/11 fear of “terrorism,” with roots in Orientalist concepts. Our class final project was a challenge put forth by our professor to address the ways in which Muslim bodies engage crisis. Instead of dividing up individually or in small groups, we decided to come together as one large collective creating one ambitious project. We chose to perform a mannequin challenge titled “Shoulder to Shoulder” to address the violence experienced by Muslim communities on and off our campus. Five times a day 1.6 billion Muslims around the world stand “shoulder to shoulder” in peaceful prayer. We want to show that Muslims belong here as much as any of us. We will stand with them in solidarity and we will protect one another from harm and hate. These are our classmates, friends, neighbors, veterans and fellow Americans. Our project counters the national divide between race, religion, and politics as we hope to bring together our communities to reclaim the American value of prizing humanity over hate. Join us in unifying our nation to denounce hate and instead spread hope, compassion, and understanding. #HumanityOverHate #HuskiesStandStrong

Credit and Special Thanks:
University of Washington Bothell – School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences
Professor Anida Yoeu Ali
Filmed & Edited by Evan White

Producing “Core” Team: Rebecca Kronblat, Doha Ashmawi, Ifrah Elmi, Grace Lindberg, Taha Chaudhry, Derek Burkett, Zoha Awan, Navjeet Kaur, Jashan Kaur, Amani Moyer-Ali, Aliya Perez, Vincent Solomon, Jimmy Seifert

Marketing/Outreach/PR Team: Hodan Hassan, Mitchell Findley, Iqra Sharif, Natalia Gilbertson, Murphy Bush, Dong Kim, Sukhjit Kaur, Alyssa Bain, Landon Garner, Isabel Conrad, Kaylee Turner, Cameron Katoozi, Angel Rocha

Art/Props/Costume Team: Da Mi Shin, Ahmed, Ali, Sharmarke Nur, Teresa Nguyen, Sylvia Hahn, M’Balia Bianco, Riya Somasundaram, Sharon Luong, Plamena Tsanev, Maryan Edin, Nan Hardt

AV/Film Team: Ivan Huynh, Mike Gorman, Derek Gencoz, Mohamed Abdi, Evan White

Special thanks to Mandy Frazier, Dakota Frazier, Aiden Westfall and additional thanks to the deans, students, faculty and staff of UW Bothell and Cascadia College who joined us in the protection circle.

Score includes samples from various news broadcast of 9/11 attack, of reported hate crimes against Muslims, and of 2016 campaign speeches & protests, Islamic Adhan by Edris Aslami, “This Land is Your Land” performed by Adel Abidin from his video work “American Jihad.”