Muslim student club hosts welcome back event for IU students

With nearly 60 members in attendance, the Muslim Student Union kicked off their first call-out meeting with their first female president, Myeda Hussain, leading the group. \nAt the call-out meeting, students were given their first opportunity to meet with other Muslims and students interested in Islam, creating a network of friends and new acquaintances. \nDuring the meeting, involvement with the organization was encouraged, and a “buddy system” was advocated to help new students become familiarized with the Muslim Student Union. \n“It was a great meeting to kick off the year,” said Omair Ali, Muslim Student Union public relations coordinator. “It helped to initiate the freshmen and to get all the upper underclassmen back in sync with MSU.” \nMember Hashim Hussain agreed.\n“It was filled with fun, laughter and falafel,” Hashim Hussain said.\nGuest speaker Maha Noureldin promoted involvement with the local mosque, extending a warm, official invitation to all who were present and absent. \n“The mosque is a place to explore one’s self and experiences on campus,” Noureldin said. “What do you think ‘mosque’ means?” \nStudents provided her with various answers, including “community” and “masjid,” which means “place of worship.” \n“The plethora of events is a result of a new direction the MSU is attempting to take with our members,” Hussain said. “We are trying to take a more grassroots approach in which members are much more involved in the decision-making process of the organization.”\nHussain said that in the past, only the executive board had the power to make decisions that would affect the whole group. \n“However, since we are elected by our peers, we would like to be held more accountable to their desires and aspirations for the MSU,” she said.\nEvents planned include the Ramadan Fast-a-Thon, Islam Awareness Week and speeches by prominent members of the Muslim community.