Come together

Members of the Dalhousie Muslim Student Association include, front row, Salma Husain, Maged Aly; middle row, Asma Kottapalli, Waleed Kadray; back row, Rana Kashef, Paige Maria Aziz and Ahsan Syed. (Nick Pearce Photo)

Assalamalaikum, peace be upon you.

Dalhousie Muslim Student Association (DMSA) holds its annual Islamic Awareness Week, March 9 to 13. This is a chance for anyone, be they Muslim or non-Muslim, to get answers to any questions they may have regarding this religion.

This week-long event also provides an opportunity to clear any misconceptions about Islam that may have arisen through the media. There will be three events taking place in the second week of March: the first, called Intro to Islam, will take place on Tuesday, March 10 at 6 p.m. in the McNally Auditorium at Saint Mary's University; the second event, Women and Islam, will be on Wednesday, March 11 at 6 p.m. in Room 105 of the Weldom Law Building; and the last event will be an Inter-Faith Dialogue on Thursday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m., also in Room 105 of the Weldom Law Building,

The first event will be packed with interesting information about Islam and Muslims in general. There will be presentations on the life of Prophet Muhammad, the daily lives of Muslims, comparison of Islam with other religions and last but certainly not least, science and Islam. These topics will delve into certain historical aspects, and they will also demonstrate the lives of Muslims, and how they balance religion with their lives every day. 

The second event will focus solely on women in Islam. This will not merely raise the question of the head covering or hijaab, but it will also explore the rights of Muslim women, and certain misinterpretations people may have about culture versus religious aspects of some traditions.  A few women guest speakers are expected, who will describe how religion influenced them in their lives, both in their family and careers.

The Inter-Faith dialogue on March 12, will involve an active discussion between Muslim, Christian and Jewish speakers. The topic of discussion for this year will be role models in religion. The point is for the speakers to talk about an individual who was shown to be a role model for their religion.

All these events will be free of charge, although donations can be made to the DMSA. Everyone is welcome to attend any of the events.