Introducing: MUSLIM STUDENT ASSOCIATION

By: John Settles, Editor-In-Chief

LANTA, March 15, 2021-Muslim Student Association hosted their first meeting over ZOOM on Monday night to talk about the purpose for their club and what they hope to accomplish with its creation.

The executives include Olivia Ramlawy and Nour Meslhi as the founders, or Co-Presidents, Ashkarat Hassan as Vice President, Hrishika Chhetri as Treasurer, and Mariama Abdoul-Majeed as Secretary. As of the creation of this article, they are at 17 members, and said that the club is open to those who do not identify as Muslim as well.

When asked about the reason behind the organization, Ramlawy stated that “I relaized there was a small Muslim community at Oglethorpe but there was nowhere for us to gather. So I wanted to create a safe space for Muslims on campus to get together, as well as a space for non-Muslims to learn about Islam if they were interested.” The other executives chimed in with words of compassion and welcoming for anyone that wishes to join and fellowship with them to build a sense of understanding and community on campus.

The main holiday MSA is celebrating currently is Ramadan, a holiday in which Muslims fast for the day to reconnect spiritually and eat during the evening. The executives stated that they have had trouble observing the break in the fast because of the OU dining hall closing before they have a chance to eat. However, negotiations between MSA, President Ladany, and the OU Dining Staff are taking place to see if they can accommodate these students. The executives have also stated that anyone is welcome to join them when they eat to break the fast.

The organization hosts meetings bi-weekly on Fridays, starting at 8:30PM.

For more information about Muslim Student Association, you can follow them @oglemsa on Instagram or contact each of the executives at:

Olivia Ramlawy: oramlawy@oglethorpe.edu

Nour Meselhi: nmeselhi@oglethorpe.edu Mariama Abdoul-Majeed: mabdoul-majeed@oglethorpe.edu

Ashrakat Hassan: ahassan@oglethorpe.edu

Hrishika Chhetri: hchhetri@oglethorpe.edu