Islam brought to the spotlight

Last week the Muslim Student Association (MSA) celebrated Islam Awareness Week.

“Every day we have an event dedicated to Islam Awareness,” said president of MSA Feras Majeed. “It’s just to show to the Southern student-body what Muslim and Islam is all about.”

Majeed said there were events planned for Islam Awareness all last week. He said on Wednesday there was an event on Women in Islam called “Women in Islam: Learn About the True Teachings of Islam on Women’s Issues.”

Other events included “Humanitarian Aid in Islam: Islam Relief: Learn about The Humanitarian Aid in Islam,” which was held last Thursday and “Jummah Prayer (Friday Prayer): The weekly prayer in Islam,” on Friday. The MSA handed out free food and information about the week and Islam in the academic quad.

“A lot of our club is made up of women, and they are poorly portrayed by the media,” he said.

Majeed said all the events were open to the entire campus to learn about what the MSA has to offer. He said Islam Awareness week is held every spring for a week in April.

“It is held all over different campuses,” said the junior English major.

The Public Relations chair Nick Lardas, a senior archeology major, said he “was always interested in learning about Muslim [Islam], and joined” the MSA.

As the Public Relations chair, Lardas said he helps out with all of the events by making and distributing fliers, and promoting events.

“What we hope to accomplish is to just address misconceptions,” Lardas said. “A lot of these people don’t know about what Islam really is, all they see is what is on the news, and people blowing stuff up, and that is not their religion at all.”

Lardas said he and the MSA just wanted to “enlighten students and let them know we are not terrorists oppressing women.”

Mohamed Badawi said he joined the MSA because he enjoyed the community service. He said he has learned a lot about Islam.

According to Southern’s Web site, “The Muslim Student Association shall provide student with an opportunity to practice their Islamic faith. In addition to the above, it shall: Sponsor programs and activities that expose members to the historical, literary and linguistic aspects of Islamic culture; present to non-Muslims the rich history and traditions of the Islamic culture; and to promote cultural diversity within the university community.”