Nearly 200 Saint Louis University (SLU) students and community members filled the Wool Ballroom in the Busch Student Center for the Muslim Student Association’s (MSA) annual fall dinner on Oct. 12. The sold-out event was open to people of all faiths from SLU and the greater St. Louis community.
Several of the 11 MSA executive board members took to the stage throughout the evening to share reflections on the event’s theme, “Remembering Palestine,” and inform attendees about organizations they are fundraising for. Keffiyehs and the Palestinian flag were the focal points of the decorations, and many attendees and board members wore keffiyehs and traditional Palestinian clothing.
The program included a recitation of the Holy Qur’an, prayer, dinner, a talk by SLU professor Mamoun Benmamoun and fundraising.
Nawal Said, the MSA vice president and a junior studying biomedical engineering, said the fall dinner was a success because of the positive atmosphere and how everyone came together in celebration. The MSA holds a special place in Said’s heart as more than just an organization, she said, but a community where she finds support and belonging.
“Being part of the MSA has enriched my life in so many ways… It’s a space where we uplift one another, practice our faith and contribute meaningfully to our campus, making it a truly invaluable part of my university experience,” Said said.
Returning and new students alike attended the event and expressed an appreciation for the connections and space the MSA has given them. Samiha Khan, a senior pursuing a bachelor’s in bioethics, has attended the fall dinner for three years. Khan, who was previously on the MSA executive board, said the MSA community has helped her better understand and connect with her Muslim identity.
“The thing I value a lot about Muslims in this space, and Islam generally, is the community I get from it,” Khan said. “I didn’t grow up in a place with a really cohesive Muslim community, so I feel like the past couple years have really allowed me to build a more solid sense of what it means to be Muslim.”
Kewuser Jemal, a freshman pursuing a bachelor’s in computer science, said she attended the fall dinner for the first time on Saturday to have fun with friends and meet new people.
“MSA is a safe place for me to practice my religion and also get to know other people that are like minded and generally connect with new people,” Jemal said.
Throughout the night, board members encouraged attendees to donate to humanitarian organizations like The Human Development Fund and HEAL Palestine. They also talked about supporting Islam in Prison, a nonprofit that helps incarcerated Muslims uphold their faith, maintain their dignity and reintegrate into society after release.
Fatema Rehmani, the MSA sisters president and a senior studying public health, said organizing this fall dinner with dedicated people and raising awareness about important issues was enjoyable and rewarding.
“I am grateful that we were able to speak about this issue that our community is deeply affected by,” Rehmani said.
During his 30-minute talk as the featured speaker, Mamoun Benmamoun, an associate professor in the Department of International Business at SLU’s Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business, said students should use their college education for causes beyond themselves.
Benmamoum encouraged students to understand that the knowledge they gain from their degrees is not just for them. He also told attendees that he is proud of how young people have been proactive about creating change, especially with their pro-Palestine advocacy over the past year.
“This is not about [getting] an ‘A’ or finishing your degree. You have to think beyond that,” Benmamoun said. “How can you turn the knowledge you are earning into something that would make a difference in this world, not just for Muslims, for everyone?”
