The annual Islam Awareness Week, hosted by the Muslim Students’ Association, was held last week. This year’s theme, “Building Ethical Societies”, promoted harmonious living for everyone.
“The theme for this year was really easy to come up with,” said Marwah Mushtaq, a member of MSA and a third-year political science student. “Everyone wants to live peacefully, regardless of your religion. We’re just trying to spread this message to our fellow students.”
Islam Awareness Week is the club’s largest event. The days consisted of discussion with passing students, information booths, and free food.
“The henna booth and Arabic calligraphy was my favourite part of the experience,” said Nicole Tian, a psychology student. “It’s interesting to know there is an aesthetic quality to the religion, [a quality] I never knew existed.”
Guest lecturers were featured every evening to discuss this year’s theme. MSA welcomed faculty, students, and other members of the community to attend. Topics of discussion included the ethics of interaction, self-reform, and mindfulness of others. Students welcomed guest lecturers Lee Weissman, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Fahim Alwan, and Dr. Bano Murtuja. MSA streamed these lectures live for the first time this year.
“We hope that students of all backgrounds can engage in proactive discussion through our event and that the psychological barriers that exist because of our differences will be broken down,” said Abdur Rafey, the president of MSA. “We hope to inspire and equip people to use their intellects, education, moral principles, values, and skills to build their societies upon an ethical foundation. We work all year round, facilitating different events and services on campus that are geared towards both Muslims and the greater community.”
The week of events came to an end with public prayer on Friday.
