The Muslim Students Association at Saint Louis University wants to help students find an issue that they feel passionate about-that one problem in society that gets them so worked up that they feel inspired to fix it.
That’s why they’re hosting Social Justice Month, a series of events that runs for three weeks and includes a variety of different events that the MSA hopes will both inspire and educate SLU students.
The goal of Social Justice Month is to raise awareness, according to MSA Co-President Mir Ikramullah, which goes hand-in-hand with the purpose of the University.
“You’re here [at a university] to learn about things you wouldn’t have otherwise heard about and to think about these things on a deeper level,” Ikramullah said. The events will introduce students to topics of global concern and help them find their own personal way of getting involved in the causes they care about.
“Everyone has their own way to contribute,” Ikramullah said. “The first step is identifying an issue.”
Social Justice Month includes a variety of events-from educational lectures and film screenings, to a Red Cross blood drive and a chance to make lunches for the homeless.
MSA chose these different activities to help students “put knowledge together with activism,” so that they can find a way to personally make a difference, said MSA Co-President Randa Kuziez.
The events will also raise awareness about Islam, Kuziez said, helping students to learn how the religious tradition intersects with social justice in the world.
Last week, students were invited to learn about the significance of social justice in the modern world and its relation to Islam. The MSA also hosted a screening of the documentary Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, which sheds light on the injustices that employees of the retail giant have faced.
Yesterday, the MSA hosted a lecture on the Patriot Act, where Guten Ilhan of the Council on American-Islamic Relations discussed the effects of these national security measures on American civil liberties.
Today, MSA co-sponsors a Mock Refugee Camp with SLU Solidarity for Palestine, which takes place in the Quad throughout the day. The event educates students about the conditions that refugees in Palestine endure in such camps, as a result of the Israeli occupation.
Next week, Social Justice Month carries on with an Atlas Week event sponsored by MSA: a presentation on the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by history professor Hayrettin Yucesoy, Ph.D., and political science professor J.R. Leguey-Feilleux, Ph.D. The lecture takes place on Wednesday, April 5, at 11 a.m. in the Pius XII Library Knights Room.
On Tuesday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be a Red Cross blood drive in the Saint Louis Room, located on the third floor of the Busch Student Center.
Then, Social Justice Month wraps up with two lectures on Wednesday, April 5. From 11 a.m. to noon, Harold Karabel from PeaceNow will speak about his perspective on how peace can be reached in the Middle East. PeaceNow is a liberal Israeli non-parliamentary activist group.
From 4:15 to 5:30 p.m., theology professor Mark Chmiel, Ph.D., and social justice teacher Andrew Wimmer will discuss the issue of U.S. involvement in torture in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo.
“We wanted to highlight social justice issues all over the world, and try to make it as diverse as possible,” Ikramullah said.
The MSA, aside from uniting Muslim students on campus, is devoted to educating the SLU community on the Muslim standpoint regarding current events. They recently invited a speaker to address the violence that ensued from the Danish depictions of Muhammad. Each fall, they organize a fast-a-thon during the month of Ramadan as well as an Islamic Awareness Month.
