The Muslim Student Association @ UConn

I was honored to give a talk on "Misconceptions about Islam" at the Muslim Student Association's Ramadan Awareness Dinner and Fast-a-Thon at UCONN. Many Professors and students expressed to me their appreciation for both the topics covered in my lecture and my manner of delivery. But of course one can not please them all. So I am replying to one Ms. Cayla Smith who misunderstood one of the topics, was offended, did not ask me any questions then voiced her protest or disapproval via the The Daily Campus.

Assalamu Alaikum Brothers and Sisters,

The MSA would like to invite you and everyone to the "Creation of the Universe" event. The event provides a scientific argument supporting the truth of the creation and refuting the theories of unguided evolution.

Since the emergence of radical Islam and its association with terrorism, some people in the United States have made incorrect assumptions about the religion of Islam and its practices.

The Washington Post stated in 2005 that complaints of harassment, violence and discriminatory treatment against Muslims in the U.S. jumped 30 percent from 2004. Approximately 2,300 reports were filed to the Council on American Islamic Relations, 1,972 of which were declared valid.

Although harassment of Muslims has increased across the country, UConn students are more concerned about spreading awareness of and educating people about Islam, as well as correcting the misperceptions that exist on campus and around the world.

"We have to be careful when talking about religions. If a religious group feels suppressed or attacked, it may make them act differently," said Saleh Ibrahim, secretary of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) on campus. "The media's misperceptions about Islam leads to the wrong ideas and we have to do our best to change that."

The MSA works to inform the community about Islam. On the MSA web page, it states that their mission is to promote "awareness about issues that pertain to Muslims domestically and globally," as well as to increase, "the UConn community's understanding of the Islamic faith and culture."

As part of their effort to increase understanding, the MSA and Undergraduate Student Government (USG) have co-sponsored a Ramadan Awareness Dinner (RAD). RAD is an opportunity to share dinner with Muslim and non-Muslim guests as they open their fast for the Islamic holiday of Ramadan. This year will be the eighth year that the USG has supported and co-sponsored RAD, and they consider it, "a great cause," according to the MSA web site.

Also, the MSA sets up an informational table outside of the library every two weeks, to provide students with handouts, flyers and booklets in order to educate the UConn community about Islam.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Dear brothers,

 A room in a house is now available for rent, 4 miles away from Campus, partially furnished, laundry facility on the premise, private parking, quiet neighborhood, no parties, no noise, single occupancy all the time. The monthly rent is $500 including heat and hot water.

Every Muslim on campus was deeply shocked by the terrorist attacks on Sep 11th day. It is a terrible tragedy in which so many innocent lives have been lost. And it is appalling that such a crime could be committed in the name of Islam, the religion of Peace. Islam clearly does not permit the killing of innocent people, and strictly forbids such unjust and senseless actions. Allah, the Arabic name of God, tells us in the Quran the story of the two sons of Adam, the first man, and how one of them killed the other out of envy; Allah tells us
“Because of that, we ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder or spreading mischief in the land, it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. And indeed there came to them Our Messengers with clear signs, and even after that many of them continued to exceed the limits in the land.” The Quran chapter 4 verse 32.

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah

The MSA, as well as UConn UCC, College Republicans and the Hillel are going to hold a candle light event in front of the main entrance of the library on Fairfield road, at 7:00pm tonight. Please be there to express your feelings towards the victims of the 9/11 attack and help dissociate Islam and the Muslim community from this tragedy.

Yesterday, the Student Union theatre hosted MSA's first lecture of a series of lectures by academic and professional speakers. The lecture, by Prof. Jane Smith from Hartford Seminary, promoted tolerance of theological difference and pointed out the great potential Christian-Islamic relations have.

MSA kicked off Islam Awareness Week with a wonderful lecture by Prof. Jane Smith, a professor of Islamic Studies and a specialist in Christian-Islamic relations.

The lecture focused on the various commonalities among Islam, Christianity and Judaism. To point out the artificial barriers imposed by classifying followers of Abrahamic monotheistic religions, Prof. Smith argued that the theological differences within a religion could be amazingly larger than the differences between religions.  

Members of Connecticut United for Peace march on Grand Avenue on Saturday to protest the Iraq war. More than 1,000 people participated in the march and rally.

Shouting, "Occupation is a crime in Iraq and Palestine!" hundreds of Connecticut residents marched down Grand Avenue in New Haven on Saturday in an effort to send their message to the Bush administration.

Connecticut United for Peace, an antiwar organization founded four years ago, gathered more than 1,000 signatures and obtained the support of more than 70 community groups for a statewide march and rally that voiced U.S. foreign policy concerns, calling primarily for an end to the war in Iraq.

Eight Berlin Mosque students and their teacher visited UConn MSA on Sunday, Jan 22nd 2006. The visit aimed at sharing the experience of UConn Muslim students with their younger brothers and sisters and offering the visitors a brief guided tour of the Storrs Campus.

Besides the MSA advisor, five MSA members welcomed the visitors at the Islamic Center. After the MSA members introduced themselves, the visitors had a nice ice-breaker game during which we had a chance to know one another. It was time for Dhohr prayer then, so we went upstairs and prayed together with the Jama'a.