Combating Islamophobic Rhetoric

Adnan Virk, a Canadian sports commentator who's best known for his work with ESPN, begins his talk on forgiveness by talking about the election of Donald Trump, and how its reality continues to amaze him. He uses politics to introduce the changes that he's noticed in racial tension lately as a Muslim man, and how Islamophobia has affected him personally in Connecticut, where he currently resides.

When the police investigated bullet holes that were found outside of the Mosque that Virk attends, he learned that the man who carried out the hate crime was his own neighbor. Upon learning this, Virk took steps to educate him, and dispel the misinformed ideas he had picked up surrounding the Muslim community. When he confronted the man and his lawyer, Virk was met with genuine regret, which helped him to forgive his neighbor for his hateful actions.

This caused Virk to form a relationship with the man, and he encouraged others in his community to forgive him as well. As a result, Virk's neighbor became an ambassador for the Muslim community, and worked to help dispel the harmful ideas that are wrongfully associated with them in today's political climate.

With his talk on forgiveness, Virk shows that education and familiarity are vital in the battle against hate. Additionally, he inspires his audience to remain peaceful when they cross paths with such issues by educating those around them who might be ignorant to what the Muslim community really stands for.