Ignorance and prejudice against people of the Islamic faith are the topic of a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Host Gina Logue’s interview with MTSU students Khadijah, Ahmad, Zaynab and Fatimah Alnassari first aired May 17 on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org.

You can listen to their conversation via the SoundCloud link below.

Khadijah Alnassari, who is majoring in both biology and sociology, is the mother of triplets Ahmad, Zaynab and Fatimah. She approaches the subject from her perspective as a concerned mother.

“I worry a lot because I have a lot of small children,” Khadijah Alnassari said. “I personally have had to have Kroger security walk me to my car on a couple of occasions because I was confronted with someone verbally attacking me in the store or cussing me just because we wear hijab (veils).”

Zaynab Alnassari, who’s majoring in biology and art, said a man approached her while she was working as part of a biology research team and said, “Your hijab is freaking me out.”

“My little sister was there so I didn’t want her to hear all the things that he was saying to us,” Zaynab Alnassari said. “He also said, ‘I didn’t know you people liked trees.’”

Because of these and other incidents, the Alnassaris organized and managed the inaugural Festival of Veils on campus in March.

The community event, which attracted an estimated 500 people to the Student Union Commons on a cold, windy day, featured free food, inflatables for children, and exhibits and speeches explaining why people of various faith wear veils.

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, visit the searchable “Audio Clips” archives at www.mtsunews.com.

For more information about the radio program, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.