On Thursday, April 14, the Muslim Student Association (MSA) is hosting its first event of the year, a celebration for Ramadan, the holy month in Islam. The event will consist of an informative presentation, a traditional meal and a quiz. The event is at 7:30 pm in the Muenster University Center (MUC) pit.
The president of MSA, Abdulla Yousef, a senior at USD, said the event is special because it is an important religious and cultural event to bring friends and family together.
“During this holy month, back home, families usually get together and friends and family gather for the start which is breaking the fast, the first meal of the day. And we wanted to bring this event to USD so other students from other cultures can experience the same rituals we have back home and we get a sense of home as well,” Yousef said.
Rezwane Sadik is a graduate student at USD and vice president of MSA. Sadik said this event is very culturally significant and is similar to how people in the United States celebrated Thanksgiving.
“It’s kind of Thanksgiving to us. The way people celebrate Thanksgiving over here, we do that on a regular basis. I can particularly remember during the first Ramadan whenever I’m back in my country, all family members of my family will sit together and we’ll have a meal and talk about our life,” Sadik said.
Prah Haider is the secretary of the MSA and a freshman at USD. The holy month is special because of its religious significance and because it is a time when families gather and celebrate together, Haider said. She hopes students will feel at home during the event no matter their religious affiliation.
“This month particularly is very close to me because it not only brings us closer to our God, but it also brings people close to each other,” Haider said. “We get together, we eat together and it just feels like home…so bringing that event to USD is just to make everybody feel at home.”
The event serves as a way to bring diversity and share culture with USD. Sadik said although Ramadan is a religious holiday, it is also very important to share this part of their culture.
“We celebrate Holi, we celebrate lunar festivals and we celebrate other stuff. All are part of different cultures. … It’s like bringing diversity, like they will be able to learn about a new culture and a new way of life,” Sadik said.
Haider said MSA, like the event, welcomes everyone from USD. The organization focuses on sharing and educating people about Islam.
“Mostly Muslims are part of (MSA) but it does not just revolve around Muslims. (MSA) is open to everyone. Anybody can join it from any religion and any culture, but the main basic aim of this organization is to help people understand more about this, about Muslims, more about our culture and more about our religion,” Haider said.
