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Muslim Students' Association hosts Islam Awareness Week

October 2, 2017

This week marks the annual Islam Awareness Week at MSU. Hosted by MSU's Muslim Students' Association, or MSA, the next six days serve to help members of the MSU community gain better understanding and awareness of Islam.

Events will take place throughout the week, a majority of which are free and all involve food from Muslim-majority countries. The events are open to anyone who would like to attend.

Salman Pervez, MSA's ASMSU representative, said the week is about informing people about Islam. 

"A lot of people don't even know anything about Muslims — a lot of people don't even know a single Muslim," Pervez said. "So it's just a way for people to learn from sources that are actually credible. Another thing is just raise awareness about the diversity of the contributions and the populous that it comprises."

Here's a look at the events throughout the week. Details can also be found on the event's Facebook page.

Monday, Oct. 2 — Quran: Explained

The first event of the week will be a presentation session on how science ties in with the Quran and how the Quran ties into all disciplines. The presentation will come from Imam Sohail from the Islamic Center of East Lansing. Food from Swagath Indian Cuisine will be provided.

"He's going to be talking about interesting verses that he — that are pretty notable and he's going to explain them to us and then if anyone has questions, they can ask him," Pervez said.

This event will be held at 7 p.m. in room A108 in Wells Hall. 

Tuesday, Oct. 3 — Deen Talks

Deen Talks will be a series of presentations similar to Ted Talks, but from an Islamic angle. The presentations will range from topics like the pursuit of happiness to the environment and Islam. Somali food will be provided.

Other topics will include the need for civic engagement and the need for mental health resources, Pervez said.

This event will be held at 7 p.m. in room B310 in Wells Hall.

Wednesday, Oct. 4 — Appreciate and Caffeinate 

The aim of this event is to learn about the Rohingya Muslims. The event will include in depth learning and the attempt to learn how MSU members can help them. Coffee and tea with refreshments will be provided.

"We started a series last year called 'Forgotten Muslims,' and usually when people think about Muslims they think about brown people or Arab people, so there are actually a lot of Muslims that don't fit that category," Pervez said. "So this year, we're covering the Rohingya Muslims and we're trying to inform people about the refugee crisis there."

This event will be held at 7 p.m. in room 100 in Berkey Hall.

Thursday, Oct. 5 — ISIS, Jihad and Islamic Law: Plot Twist

This event is a presentation on how ISIS twists Islamic law from Mohammad Khalil. Khalil is an associate professor of religious studies, director of the Muslim studies program and an adjunct professor of law. He specializes in Islamic thought and his research surrounds law, ethics, gender and historiography. Food from Ozzy's Kabob will be provided.

"He kind of gets into how a lot of terrorist groups use Islam and verses to brainwash people and take things out of context and, kind of — he shows you from an academic standpoint how intellectually lazy terrorists are," Pervez said.

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This event will be held at 7 p.m. in room N021 in the Business College Complex.

Friday, Oct. 6 — Campus Jummah

Khutbah will be led by "one of your Spartan Muslims," according to the Facebook event page. Food provided will include samboosas and refreshments.

"Christians have Sunday mass, Jews have Sabbath and we have Fridays — So Fridays are our Holy Day. So we're having a student give a sermon," Pervez said.

This event will be held from 1:45-2:15 p.m. in the 2nd Floor Atrium in Wells Hall.

Saturday, Oct. 7 — U-M, MSU Eid Brunch and Tailgate

This event, a tailgate, will be held in Ann Arbor. The event includes an Eid brunch with the Muslim Student Association at U-M. Tickets to attend are $10 in advance and $12 at the door, and tickets are available here.

"They're hosting a tailgate and a brunch before the game Saturday," he said.

This event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2435 North Quad in Ann Arbor.

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