MSA hosts awareness activities

WSU students challenged negative representations of Islam at yesterday’s Muslim Culture Exposition.

The Muslim Student Association (MSA) hosted the expo in the CUB Junior Ballroom as part of this week’s Islam Awareness Week.

The cultural exposition showcased the food, clothing and music of various Muslim communities around the globe.

“The purpose of the culture expo is to bring awareness to the diversity of Islam,” said MSA Co-Chair Fadumo Ali. “We want to show that there’s more to Islam than what’s portrayed in the media.”

MSA members presented informational posters about Islam in countries, such as Libya, Yemen, Nigeria, Iraq and Pakistan.

Hassan Bakari, MSA president, said he wanted to make this year’s Islamic Awareness events more engaging to attendees.

“We wanted to have people interacting,” Bakari said. “That way, people will learn more.”

Expo attendees sat on red, velvet pillows and floor cushions around an ornamental rug with a tea set in the middle. Henna tattoo artists offered to paint tattoos while attendees drank tea.

Shareq Amin, MSA secretary, led a presentation about his native country of Bangladesh.

“A lot of people don’t know too much about our country other than what the media portrays,” Amin said. “They only see the flooding and the bombings.”

Amin said the culture expo is a valuable addition to this year’s events for Islamic Awareness Week.

“In the past four years that I’ve been here, this is probably my favorite event so far,” Amin said. “It brings out all the cultures and shows the diversity between each.”

Bakari presented on Kenya and Somalia, the countries that form his roots. A scenic cityscape of Nairobi took center stage on his poster.

“Many people think Africa is poor, but there are really big cities for people to enjoy,” Bakari said.

Yasser Alkhomri, an MSA member, said the expo’s intent is to better connect the Muslim community at WSU.

“It’s about unifying Muslims of different communities and enriching their lives on campus,” Alkhomri said.

Ali said that incorporating the different facets of Islamic culture provided more insight for both Muslims and non-Muslims at WSU.

“This year we had Omanis, Saudis, Libyans, and others that wanted to work with us,” Ali said. “When we’re working with people coming from different backgrounds, it helps spread awareness about Islam, but you also gain more awareness yourself.”

Islamic Awareness events will continue throughout the week. Tonight, seven panelists will discuss their experiences as Muslims in Todd 276 from 7 – 8 p.m.

On Friday, the Pullman Islamic Center located on Stadium Way will be hosting an open house from 1- 3 p.m. Food will be provided.

The expo was a joint effort between the MSA and the International Students Council.