NYU Islamic Students Association

A Family of Strangers

             A few weeks ago I decided to take a trip to Virginia with one of my friends to visit her family. Although we have only been friends for 7 months, and this wasn’t even her immediate family, I thought, “what the heck”, and decided to tag along. As we hopped on the sketchiest MegaBus ever, I spent the 4-hour bus ride feeling car sick, debating whether or not to use the bus bathroom, and wondering what I was getting myself into for the weekend. All she had told me when I asked about her family and what to expect, was that “we eat a lot”.

As soon as her two older cousins picked us up from Union Station, I could tell it was going to be an eventful weekend. When we arrived at her aunt’s house, I was greeted with lots of hugs, kisses, Salaams, and questions along the line of: “Beta, have you eaten?”, “Beta what do you want to eat”, “Beta, why aren’t you eating?”. At the end of our first night, her Uncle- to whom the kids referred to as “the Godfather”- let me in on a secret: due to my lack of Urdu skills, South African/Indian ethnicity, my Hindu sounding name (Yumna Patel), and overall lack of knowledge of “the brown culture”, her family had spent much of our anticipated arrival attempting to figure out if I was Muslim or not, and if “I ate everything”. Their worries were put to rest however when I greeter them with “Salaam” and told them the names of my siblings: Ihsaan, Imaan, and Muhammed.

The weekend was filled with family, fun, food, food…and food. The first morning when I said I would have cereal for breakfast, I was given multiple looks of confusion. Instead I was given a “garden omlette” (eggs with onions, peppers, and every other Desi vegetable) with paratha. Parathas for breakfast? It was a bread-lovers dream come true. My world was turned upside down: brunch quickly turned from pancakes and omlettes, to kheer (love at first taste), aloo paratha, and lots of indiscernible variations of chickpeas and potatoes. The one, and only, Urdu word that I picked up on was “khana”. Food.   

  When I wasn’t eating, or smiling and pretending to understand what everyone was saying, I was mostly laughing. Whether it was with, or at my friend and her relatives, it didn’t really matter. These people were complete strangers to me- my friend’s uncles, aunts, and cousins. But over the course of the weekend, they became a part of my family, just as I became a part of theirs. The jokes that they told and the stories that they shared, whether I understood them or not, made me feel like I was home. Living in New York City, and going to school so far away from home, it’s easy to feel lonely, and get caught up with the trivial things that surround our daily lives. As strange as it is, it was nice to get away from everything and everyone, and be with new people, and elders in particular. We are constantly surrounded by students and people our own age that we get so sucked into our superficial lives, and we forget what it’s like to be around family, and those mother and father figures who make us feel loved and cared for every single day. Even though I was just the random white-washed friend coming to visit for the weekend, and didn’t technically fit in at all, there was not a single time where I felt uncomfortable or unwelcome.

            I left that weekend on a Tripper Bus (slightly less sketchy than MegaBus), with a content heart, clear mind, full stomach, and a slightly bigger waistline. Not only did my love for kheer and Pakistani desserts grow, but so did my love and appreciation for my family who lives so far away, and my friends here at NYU that I often take for granted. In my almost full-year here, I never understood my friends who lived close by and went home every weekend. But now I get it. If I could hop on a train or bus back to Texas every weekend, I would. Because there’s nothing quite like being surrounded by family, parents, and home-cooked food. 

Salam,

Hey

YOU.

NO. 

Not you. 

That’s right, walk away. 

BUT, have you ever been having one of those horrible days? Maybe you stubbed your toe, or got caught picking your nose in public? Or maybe you went to go make wudu and realized there were no paper towels left AFTER you had already drenched yourself (it happens, trust me). Have you ever felt so crummy and helpless at some point that you just said to yourself “Gee, I hope people will make duaa for me”.

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

WELL NOW IS YOUR CHANCE. Today, there are more than a 100 students, young professionals, alumni, etc. travelling to Mecca for Umrah, mashaAllah. inshaAllah God will hear their prayers and accept this marvelous journey that they are about to embark upon, and we would do good to pray for their safety and success. 

BUT THERE’S SOMETHING IN IT FOR YOU TOO. Let’s do the math.

More than 100 Umrah pilgrims= More than 100 people making duaa= a happy you. 

In all seriousness though, this is a great opportunity. We may not be able to make the Umrah trip ourselves this time around, but our friends and colleagues are, and they’re not going just for themselves. If you have any duaas that you would like to pass along, take a second to think about them and write them in the link below. All your information will be private, though you may provide your name if you so wish. We’ll leave you from the following passage: 

“When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when calls on me.” [2:186]

The link where you can post your duaa is below, and all the duas will be compiled in a spreadsheet for our brothers and sisters. 

https://docs.google.com/a/nyu.edu/forms/d/1k_E-iQEvLuubO74iZKKbahdz7bl2WHU_D2Ux-hoS9io/viewform

Salam

Salam,

For those of you who don’t know, the Islamic Center has free Iftar every Monday night after Maghrib in the prayer room (which is on the 4th floor of the Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life). Every Monday we provide peeps with a meal from a different place (usually, sometimes we’ll just get pizza two weeks in a row. Don’t judge us). You don’t have to be fasting to come to Iftar; it’s really just a great way to start off the week and get together with old faces and new ones. Food is free for anyone who stops by, but we are fasting every week for a specific cause.

This past week week we fasted for rape victims. With people still in the Valentine’s Day mindset, (some) people may be caught up in planning something special. Getting a gift, reserving a restaurant, figuring out the best thing to wear, etc. I guess the reason we chose to fast for rape victims is because of the contrast the issue has with the lovey-dovey sentiments that a day like Valentine’s Day calls forth. It’s the contrast that makes us remember it. And let’s face it, rape and its victims are issues that people keep on forgetting about, even when they keep on coming back up in the news.

New Delhi comes to mind, maybe. That’s the gang rape case that most people have been talking about the past few weeks. The unnamed woman victim died two weeks after she was attacked, and since then her story has been floating on the lips of news anchors and on the computer screens of idle readers. But why is her story so important? Is it because it happened in India? Don’t we tend to see other countries as being more dangerous, though? Why does the nameless woman’s story stand out amongst the masses of unnamed victims who haven’t been offered any posthumous publicity? You probably have Google open in another tab. Search the word “rape” and go to “news”. If you’re reading what I’m reading, you’re reading about an NYPD cop who sexually assaulted a teacher and beat the rape conviction. It’s more recent, and much closer to home. The question remains whether it will stick in the minds of the public for as long or with as much potency. The New Delhi woman died at the hands of her rapists, but all six men involved in the rape were arrested. The New York schoolteacher lives, but she lives with the knowledge that a man in uniform who took advantage of her isn’t being charged the way he should be.

And then there’s Todd Akins and his idea of legitimate rape (look him up if you don’t know about him. Take a second to laugh at the man). And there are countless other stories that build upon the issue. The fact of the matter probably is that rape will always occur, and that there will always be people who, for some reason, will end up in a situation where they will harm another human being. The tragic truth of it all is that rape, whether it’s one case or one million cases, will occur. We can prevent some, maybe, and we can agree on its definition so that every assailant is given their due punishment, but the fact will remain that some will stay silent. Some won’t say a word about what happened to them, and in their silence, the fact of rape will live on. That’s something we may never be able to change. So what can we do?

We can remember. We can pray.

For those of us who cling to the idea of a higher purpose, of a right and a wrong and a final end associated with each, there exists the ability to pray or to fast or to remember in whatever way we find suitable. In the modern world, religion can be the simplest thing to turn to and the hardest all at once. Whether we know someone who has been affected by rape or not, we can take refuge in the fact that the option of prayer exists, even though it can be hard when prayer seems to be the only option. We want to see results. We want to see the bad guy locked up and the good guy to never come in harms way again. But when rape keeps on affecting the lives of innocents, and the crimes against these individuals keep on becoming trivialized by people who cry “legitimate rape” and “it’s their own fault”, the simplest form of retribution is remembrance. To remember, in the form of a fast or in the form of a du’a, is the ultimate desire for a solution. Maybe that’s the real reason we have weekly iftars. As students or young professionals with no sort of political power, it’s not always easy for us to make a real difference (don’t get me wrong, sometimes we do). Fasting for a cause and coming together with other young people to remember the cause is in itself something. You can’t fix what has been forgotten, and remembrance is the first step to a remedy.

We’re trying to make this blog a place where people can share their ideas. If you have anything to share about rape, whether it’s a comment on the problems against its legal definition, or a personal experience and how to get through it, or anything else at all that you’d like to share, you can comment on this post. In the future, we’d like for this to be a forum of discussion where people can exchange ideas and build off of one another, isha’Allah. Don’t be afraid to post something anonymously; we have no way of knowing who you are, and what you have to share may be able to help someone else.

Salam

A little past Valentine’s Day, I know, but the advice still holds true.

As American Muslim college students, there’s not much we can do when we’re surrounded by “holidays” that we don’t necessarily call our own. We are constantly faced with unrelenting matters of life-and-death: Do I go trick or treating? Will I get struck by lightning for singing “Silent Night”? Why aren’t I invited to the Obama’s Easter egg hunt? But if there’s one holiday that gives us all the biggest brain fart, it’s Valentine’s Day. Just the mention of the word “valentine” can make the most mashAllah brothers and sisters extremely uncomfortable. The dreaded “V-Day”. We might as well call it “D-Day.”  Everywhere you look, you’re reminded with the fact that today is probably the most confusing day of the year. “Love” is floating around like suddenly it started snowing paper hearts. Girls and boys alike are clad in shades of red and pink, that frankly aren’t all that flattering. Everyone you see has roses-and you secretly wish the florist forgot to cut off the thorns. Chocolate slowly starts to enter the bloodstream, and you begin to realize that the only men you have in your life, are Ben & Jerry.

Whether you have a “valentine” or not, we all have a special someone. I’m not talking about the lovely girl with the purple hijab from your bio class, or the mashAllah brother with the beard from your physics lab.

I’m talking about all the special people in our lives, who we should express our love for everyday of the year, not just Valentines Day. These people are our parents, brothers, sisters, family, friends, Khalid, Priya, and Madina. Rather than hating on the mushy-gushiness of Valentines Day, we should recognize that love doesn’t have to be “romantic”. Love can mean appreciation, kindness, and admiration. The Empire State shining in all its pink glory, is a chance for us to recognize those who make our lives beautiful every single day. It’s a chance to thank our Moms, our Dads, our teachers, and our friends, for loving us unconditionally. We don’t need flowers one day out of the year to give or receive love. All we need are words. And if you have unlimited texting and calling, this shouldn’t be that hard. So put down the tub of Ben & Jerry’s, and call up your mom to tell her that she’s the only Valentine in your life.

The ISA is adding new Shura members for the spring semester.

Shura is the leaders group within the ISA that organizes all of our events. If you like what the ISA does and want to get more involved, then this is a great opportunity to build your leadership skills and help out the community!

Become a superhero and join the Justice League! Apply today!

Note: Tights not included.

Every night this week after Isha (6:30 PM), the IC will have quiet study hours, Inshallah. In addition, most of the rooms on that floor will be opened up as well. Quiet hours will be enforced.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Will Quiet Hours Actually Be Enforced?

Yes. Zara Ali will personally yell at anyone who talks. No shenanigans will be tolerated.

I Heard Something About Hot Chocolate.

I don’t know what you’re talking about.

I’m Pretty Sure You Made an Announcement About it After Jummuah

Oh. Hmm. Well. I Said there would be hot chocolate. I didn’t specify when or where or if it would be free.

Actually You Said All Those Things

Lies! All of it! Ok, fine. If enough people show up, we’ll get hot chocolate and donuts Inshallah. But you have to convince Zara Ali.

Can You Help Me With Calc/Chem/Karate/Econ?

No.

Only if you get me hot chocolate.

Amor. Habb. Pyar. Fried Chicken. Liefd. Love. It’s in the air.

It goes by many names, and in many languages, but there’s nothing quite like a bucket full of deep fried chicken.

At least, until now.

The Islamic Students Association works hard to engage its constituency.

But our president, Rania Mustafa goes above and beyond the call of duty. You see, she has even reached out other states and engaged the NJIT MSA. And at this point, you could even say that Rania and the president of the NJIT MSA are engaged. And it is quite an engagement indeed.

And now our president is engaged to be married Inshallah.

When a man loves a woman, well… sit down young one. Let me tell you about life.

Actually, nevermind. Lets pretend I never said anything. Let me just tell you about this guy.

Who is Ibrahim Issa, the future husband of Rania Mustafa iA? He’s close friends with Khalid on Facebook, leader of his MSA, and CEO of wayne enterprises by day.

Is he the Batman? Is he Chuck Norriss’ son? Can he believe that it’s not butter?

I think he just might be the dark knight. Also that officially makes Rania Mustafa Cat Woman.

TONIGHT. 

Come one, come all!

Freshman dinner in the fall,

Khalid decided it was time

To invite the freshman 

To his house, to dine

With other freshmen

Come and see

The magic that there will be! 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Gramercy Dorm, 3rd Floor

7:00pm

“Jahweh, Abba, Allah: One God for One World?”
with

Professor Miroslav Volf
Director of Yale Center for Faith and Culture; 
Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology, Yale University Divinity School



Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
Co-Founder and Chairman, Zaytuna College


Wednesday, November 28th 2012
6:30pm - 8:00pm
New York University
Location: TBD

RSVP for this event by filling out this form 

Co-sponsored by NYU Abu Dhabi in New York and The Islamic Center at NYU 

Speakers’ Bios

Miroslav Volf

Professor Volf is the founding Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. His books include Allah: A Christian Response (2011); Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace (2006), which was the Archbishop of Canterbury Lenten book for 2006; Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation (1996), a winner of the 2002 Grawemeyer Award; and After Our Likeness: The Church as the Image of the Trinity (1998), winner of the Christianity Today book award. A member of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. and the Evangelical Church in Croatia, Professor Volf has been involved in international ecumenical dialogues (for instance, with the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity) and interfaith dialogues (on the executive board of C-1 World Dialogue), and is active participant in the Global Agenda Council on Values of the World Economic Forum. A native of Croatia, he regularly teaches and lectures in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, and across North America. Professor Volf is a fellow of Berkeley College.

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