Mariam Bazeed, 18-year-old Egyptian in her sophomore year at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York
BY TISH DURKIN | Get to know me, and then judge me. Get to know me, and then choose to be afraid of me, rather than caving in to the ignorance and the fear of all that is different and unknown. I do not hate you, and I do not wish your death. I am not your enemy—my people’s and your people’s ignorance, hatred, and fear of each other is the real enemy. Look beyond all the myths and lies surrounding my Arabism and Islamism, and see me for the 18-year-old girl that I am. I’ve done the same for you. I now know you’re not a monster. Seeds of Peace camp taught me how to think on my own, to erase all the prejudice in my head, and to look at the world through a pair of eyes that were unclouded with hatred and fear.