A campus organization has recently rebranded to become more inclusive to Muslim students who attend the university.
Formerly the Somali Student Association (SSA), the Muslim Student Association (MSA) has broadened its horizons by opening the club to Muslim students of all ethnicities.
President of MSA and second-year student Boshra Shreiqein said, “When we looked at the demographics [of SSA] and the students who were actually part of it, we had more Muslims as a whole rather than just the Somali community, so we made it exclusive to all Muslims.”
People do not have to be practicing Muslims to join, as the organization is open to anyone who is interested in learning about the Islamic religion in a safe environment.
Executive board member and second-year student Esraa Osman said, “MSA is for everyone and not just Muslim students. We’re going to have a lot of events and panels with other organizations that are not related to the religion. You can join if you just want to learn something about Islam and show up whenever you can.”
MSA’s mission statement states that their goal is to “positively impact the perception of Muslims on campus by promoting the understanding through educational programming.”
As for future plans for the organization, Shreiqein shared that her goal as president is to increase the number of members and provide a fun environment for students to learn about Islam.
We want to get a hold of a speaker who will come and share stories about the prophets, kind of like a little lecture but with food and drinks,” said Shreqein.
Capital is home to a number of culturally and religiously diverse organizations like MSA, such as the Asian American Alliance, Ebony Brotherhood Association, Cru, African Student Union, and many more.
“I do feel like it’s important that we have organizations like MSA, especially for minority groups because, I mean, we do go to a Christian school. We don’t want to feel out of place. So I do feel like these organizations help give people a safe space. You get to just be around people that are like you, or share a trait,” said Osman.
Following the recent rebranding of MSA, the organization is hoping to grow and is seeking members who are interested in learning about the Muslim culture. Future events will be available for all students to attend.
