By Jada Butler
Co-Editor-in-Chief
The Muslim Student Association (MSA) club promotes acceptance and aims to prevent Islamophobia. One of the religious clubs on campus, MSA began late in the spring 2018 semester. President
Humdia Barakzai, a sophomore pre-pharmacy major, said the club came to a slow start as they worked on obtaining a budget and building an executive board.
“LIU Post is a diverse school, and there are multiple religious clubs here, so I wanted to introduce the MSA because I don’t want anyone to mistake the religion as a bad religion. I want people to become more aware of what Muslims believe in, what we’re about, and why we do what we do,” Barakzai said.
The executive board members echo Barakzai’s sentiment.
“Our mission in MSA is to promote knowledge about the Islamic culture and participate in fundraisers to help groups willing to help others,” Nakeeb Ahmed, MSA treasurer, said. Though being treasurer goes beyond money. “I voice my opinions in the meetings and what our goals are for this club,” Ahmed said.
“Our group consists of people born from different descents, which makes it a very diverse group of members,” Muhammad Umar, MSA’s secretary, said. Umar’s job is to make sure that every member is up to par with their duties and responsibilities.
MSA hosted its first event of the fall semester with the Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA), a vigil service on Wednesday, Oct. 31, for the victims of the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, Penn.
They plan to host a formal with MESA, where the proceeds will benefit countries that need assistance. They also plan to celebrate World Hijab Day on Feb. 1, where they will invite guest speaker, alumna Daisy Khan, author of “Born with Wings: The Spiritual Journey of a Modern Muslim Woman.”
The club is open to both Muslim and non-Muslim students. Barakzai said she wants club members to have an understanding of their religion and culture. “I know there are so many people who have questions, and I don’t want anybody to give them a wrong answer,” she said.
Anyone interested can contact the president at Humdia.Barakzai@ my.liu.edu or the club’s faculty advisor, Dr. Shaireen Rasheed at Shaireen.Rasheed@liu.edu.
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