By Scott Anderson for University of Toronto Magazine
Shafique Virani spoke powerfully against Islamophobia at a recent TEDx Talk. The key to countering it, he says, is education
To demonstrate how the repetition of biased or selective information can sway popular opinion, Shafique Virani, a U of T professor of Islamic Studies, conducted an experiment with a TEDx Talk audience at UTSC last year. He described a substance called DHM that’s “colourless, odourless and tasteless,” which, in its solid form, “can severely damage human tissue” and “has been found in excised tumours of terminal cancer patients.” Accidental inhalation of DHM, he added, is the third-leading cause of unintentional death worldwide.
“Based on this information,” he asked the crowd, “how many of you would allow DHM to be freely available?” The answer: almost no one. Virani then revealed that the mysterious substance is actually “di-hydrogen monoxide,” otherwise known as water.
Read more at the Source: Oercoming Bias with Teaching | By Scott Anderson | Autumn 2016 | University of Toronto Magazine
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