Building Bridges at UC Berkeley: A Night of Hindu-Muslim Unity

The event was co-sponsored by the ASUC South Asian Office, ASUC Senator Memon, and Hindus for Human Rights, as part of ongoing efforts at UC Berkeley to build interfaith solidarity and deepen conversations around shared South Asian histories.

This weekend’s Hindu-Muslim Unity Night at UC Berkeley brought together about thirty students for an evening of film, conversation, and community. Organized with support from Hindus for Human Rights, the event explored the intertwined histories and shared hopes of two faiths that have shaped South Asia for centuries.

We screened a diverse set of films that each illuminated a different dimension of unity and resistance: Jung-e-Azadi (2007), which revisits the 1857 revolution as a moment of joint struggle; Basant by Yousef Saed, a lyrical short about the syncretic celebration of spring; and videos featuring Zohran, who spoke about his upbringing rooted in both Hindu and Muslim traditions, along with commentary from Nair contextualizing his message of inclusion.

The evening sparked thoughtful discussions on faith, belonging, and the possibilities of shared identity in a divided world. It was heartening to see students reflecting on the spiritual and political threads that bind these traditions together — and even more encouraging that several signed up to start a new student chapter of Hindus for Human Rights at Berkeley.

Moments like these remind us that unity is not an abstract idea; it’s built through relationships, storytelling, and the courage to imagine something different together.