“In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful,” Muslim Student Association (MSA) president Khalid Alfallatah said, kicking off the association’s first Islamic Night.
MSA hosted Islamic Night, which they plan to hold annually, to help educate people about the world’s largest religion, Islam, and to bring awareness of Muslim students’ presence at the University.
Last night’s cultural event began in the EMU Ballroom, as MSA members and guests dressed in royal blue dinner jackets and silky, sweeping white robes took their seats. Dispersed groups of white and checkered red headdresses bobbed in the audience and faded to gray as the lights dimmed.
The event was funded by the International Student Union, and the rotating group of speakers repeatedly thanked the ASUO, the event volunteers and the MSA members present for making the night possible.
Themes of education and religious tolerance were implicit in the speakers’ language, as curious, casually dressed onlookers got a taste of a culture they seldom see in Eugene.
“MSA’s mission is to educate people about Islamic culture and civilization,” Alfallatah said. “We are a group of students interested in Islamic activities.”
After Alfallatah wrapped up his opening remarks, four MSA members took the stage and sung a Nasheed, or song, in Arabic. Similar songs, sung in throaty, alternating verses punctuated the night.
A woman dressed in a full black burqa, introduced as Sister Maryam Ali, took the stage next and spoke in Arabic about how she had come to define herself as a Muslim woman. Only her eyes and the bridge of her nose showed through the dark veil, and Alfallatah was kind enough to translate her soft words.
“I wonder how people are looking at me as a Muslim woman,” said Ali. “Do they know why I am wearing this uniform, or do they think I am forced to wear it?”
She made sure the audience understood that she was happy in her role, and that she viewed the birth of Islam as a liberating force for Arab women. The fact that Muslim women hold careers as doctors, teachers and businesswomen, Ali contended, is proof of women’s often discounted freedom of choice within Islam.
After another melodic song performed by MSA members, Alfallatah announced, “And now we would like to invite you, our wonderful guests, to dinner.”
A line quickly spilled out into the hallway, as eager audience members waited to get a helping of what was billed on the program as a “Halal Dinner.”
The night had its desired effect on the audience, as students eagerly mingled with MSA members fully-clad in religious garb. People in attendance spoke Arabic and English interchangeably, and the room’s acoustics made the two languages mix into one indistinguishable murmur.
“This is a great chance for people to see and interact with Muslim students and break the stereotypes they see on TV,” Natalya Magarian said, a non-Muslim observer who attended the event for fun and out of curiosity.
Speakers Mutahhir Sabree and Yasuf Estes concluded the evening by talking about their experiences as sheikhs, or religious scholars, and about how Muslim life is often different from how it is perceived across the globe.
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