MSA Board 2007-2008

Salam Alaikum All,

The 2007-2008 MSA board is ready to roll with meetings continuing over the summer. iA Next weekend the executive board will be getting together to finalize plans for the up and coming semester and also meet and chill with some of the faculty advisors to get the year off to a good start. Continue checking on this blog for more information about events in the next academic year!

Recap of Fall semester!

Fall Kick-Off Meeting (September 7, 2006): An opportunity for both Muslim students and the broader campus to meet their MSA Executive Board and the activities we have planned for the coming year.-

The kickoff was very successful, we had many new faces join the UW-MSA. The board was able to show off their acting skills in a skit they had prepared, and were able to get to know their new members.
(http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5904839529762294514&q=uw+msa&hl=en)

MSA Boating Trip and Picnic (September 9, 2006): A chance for students to enjoy their first weekend on campus and see the beauty of Madison while also meeting new people.

Unfortunately the weather was a bit chilly and we had to hold out on canoeing, but Inshallah we will have another canoeing event later this semester. Members were able to enjoy the great food we barbecued! The brothers were also involved in an intense soccer game.


Interfaith: Women in Islam (September 14, 2006): Our first event specifically targeted at the broader campus community, this event hopes to confront a major issue facing Muslims in America through discourse and hopes to leave people understanding more about Islam.

Brother Mamoon and Sister Rohany did a great job explaining what Women mean in Islam.


Back to School Dinner (September 16, 2006): A dinner for both students and local community members seeking to announce our plans for the upcoming year and allow the community to get to know our student community


Open Mic Night (September 21, 2006): A chance for MSA members to channel their creative side and offer thoughts about what they see in the world. This year, the event has ranged from people reading their favorite surahs and passages from books, to poetry they have written on their own.


Ramadan Iftars (September 23- October 23, 2006): Being away from home during Ramadan is difficult. As such, the MSA seeks to offer iftar twice a week to students in the effort to create a greater sense of community during Ramadan.

Iftars were very successful, and thanks to all the volunteers who cooked, we had bigger crowds mashallah.


Fast A Thon (October 12, 3006): Once each Ramadan, the MSA seeks to offer an opportunity for friends, and members of the broader community to fast in solidarity with their Muslim peers. The event includes a short speech and an iftar. It is a great opportunity for both the MSA and the broader campus to learn more about Islam.

Our Fast-a-thon was VERY successful, we had around 150 participants. Food was catered by the Casbah and King of Filafel. Our guest speakers, Manju Gupta, Becky Dill, and Abe S. were able to deliver phenomenal experiences about fasting!




























































Eid Parties, separate for brothers and sisters (October 22, 2006): Being away from home during Eid is always difficult. The girls were able to have a Secret Eidy! Gifts were secretly exchanged between Sisters.


General Body Meeting (November 2, 2006 and December 7, 2006): The MSA seeks to hold events that students can benefit from. The General Body meetings are a great opportunity for students to offer their feedback regarding the semester’s events both previous and upcoming. Further, it allowed students to raise issues with which they would like the MSA to get involved.

The General Body meeting had a low attendence. But the Constitution was amended to allow a larger diverse group to be a part of MSA. The December meeting had a larger attendance and many suggestions were given.


Lecture: Maintaining Spirituality Post Ramadan (November 18, 2006): With guest speakers coming to the Madison area, this lecture seeked to reflect upon the spiritual high we get from Ramadan and maintain such motivation after its departure.

Sisters Karaoke and Ice Skating, Brothers Basketball Tournament (November 30, 2006): An opportunity for MSA members to grow in friendship and build community.

Lecture: Tawaqul (December 9, 2006): A great opportunity to learn about our faith and gain from the pearls of wisdom of speakers. This lecture seeked to remind us of our greater purpose amidst the trials of college life.

MSA Women in Islam lecture

AsSalamu Alaikum Everyone!

This past week the UW MSA out together the Women in Islam event (9/14/06). The turnout was pretty good, and the speakers were amazing!! The speakers were Br. Mamoon and Sister Rohany.
Many people came to learn more about women and about Islams views on them. Even Muslims came to remind themselves or learn more about how Islam truly values women, more than most people realize. There have been many stereotypes about how women are treated in Islam and this event put those misconceptions to rest. If anything, people walked away with a better understanding of Islam. And that is always the intent. To make sure that Islam is not misconstrued in any way and to always be open-minded to different ideas. The MSA board highly recommends that everyone come to events like these. It's a great way to discuss issues and to increase your knowledge of religion/people around you.

Ok,Enough serious talk! The event was also a great opportunity to meet new Muslims/ Non-Muslims on campus. Below are some pictures of the event. Enjoy!








Sister Rohany expressing her views on Women in today's society

The audience listening intently

Q&A time!




Br. Mamoon explaining Womens' rights




Some very enthusiastic members

MSA Picnic!

Salam Fellow MSA members!

Today was the MSA picnic (minus the canoeing- due to cold, windy weather)There was great halal food, a nice fire pit, and some games. The guys had a great time playing frisbee and soccer. Saif's, Sabi's, Mohammed's, Faisal's, Bradley's, and Haradeen's team beat Omar's Abu Jassem's, Bilal's, Ishaq's, Hamdi's and Aadil's team 10 to 3 in soccer. Prayer was also held outside. Overall it was a great event and there were a ton of new people! For those of you who missed out, there are some pictures posted below:

Funny stories being told

The guys hanging around

The girls hanging about

The soccer game

MSA Bloopers

Your favorite MSA folks looking odd, awkward, or just plain dumb. Go ahead, laugh it up...and wait till I find a pic of YOU looking like a doofus! MUAHAHAHA!

GENERAL DISCLAIMER

At this time, I'd like to take a moment and apologize for the poorly written entries below. Alhamdulillah, this year has seen a lot of events and activities that could not have been possible without the tireless efforts of the Muslims at out university and in our community. No blog hastily updated at 4:30 a.m. can ever encompass all that is MSA and its loving supporters!

IAW: Islam Awareness Week 2006

IAW: Islam Awareness Week 2006!

Monday, April 17 th - Islam & Women (lecture & discussion)
When : 8 p.m.
Where : Sellery Hall -- Main Lounge
Miscellaneous : Free Food!
Sponsored by : Muslim Students' Association (MSA)

Tuesday, April 18 th - Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet (movie)
When : 8 p.m.
Where : MCSC Satellite
Miscellaneous : Free Food!
Sponsored by : Muslim Students' Association (MSA)

Wednesday, April 19 th - Faces of Islam (exhibit on global Islamic cultures)
When : 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where : Memorial Union -- Inn Wisconsin Room (2 nd floor)
Miscellaneous : Displays on countries from around the world!
Sponsored by : Muslim Students' Association

Thursday, April 20 th - Wisconsin Interfaith Earth Month (Islam and the environment)
When : 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Where : Memorial Union -- TITU
Miscellaneous : "Sustaining Our Planet is a Religious, Ethical, and Civic Obligation"
Sponsored by : Wisconsin Interfaith Climate and Energy Campaign (WICEC), Islamic Environment Group of Wisconsin (IEGW), Muslim Students' Association (MSA)

FRIDAY, April 21 th (MAIN EVENT) - Azhar Usman (Muslim comedian)
When : 8 p.m.
Where : Grainger Hall -- Room 1100
Miscellaneous : From "Allah Made Me Funny - The Official Muslim Comedy Tour!"
Sponsored by : Associated Students of Madison (ASM), Multi-Cultural Student Coalition (MCSC), Muslim Student' Association (MSA)

Open Mic!

The 2nd Open Mic event was held on April 12th...and it was great!

Orphan Sponsorhip Dinner

The Orphan Sponsorship Project of Madison organized its First Annual Charity and Beyond Banquet. The event was a great success, exceeding its $1500 goal by raising $2200!

Lecture & Dinner: Omar Atia

Br. Omar Atia, youth director of MAS-Chicago, visited Madison again and spoke of the importance of community.

MSA 2006-2007 Elections!

The Executive Committee elections were held on March 24th this year, and a talented and diverse board was elected:

President: Br. Saif Syed
Vice President: Br. Moeed Sufi
Public Relations: Br. Andrew Wentlant
Administrative Officer: Br. Rizwaan Akthar
Brothers' Events: Br. Adam Sitte
Sisters' Events: Sr. Sabrina Rashid

MSA Central Zone Conference 2006

MSA's CZ Conference was held in Milwaukee this year -- and it was AMAZING!

I can't tell you much more about that because I was busy getting into car accidents in Kentucky.

Weekend Seerah Course with Dr. Abdulhakim Jackson

February was also the month that MSA brought renowned Islamic scholar Dr. Sherman Jackson, Professor of Law and Islamic Studies at the University of Michigan.

The weekend course covered the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and was attended by students from as far as Minnesota to Indiana.

Prophet Muhammad Exhibit

Following the forum, MSA and the Madison Muslim community organized a wonderful exhibit on the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

The exhibit was well attended and well received by the campus community -- as well as making front page news in the Daily Cardinal.

Forum on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) cartoons

In the heat of media coverage related to the Danish cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as a terrorist, local newspapers -- unaware or disregarding sensitivity of the issue -- re-published, or published similar cartoons. With the help of the Madison Muslim community, and The Office of the Dean of Students, MSA organized a forum to address the issue.

With the tireless work of dedicated community members and Muslim students, MSA was inshaAllah able to use this opportunity to the fullest in dispelling misunderstandings, and opening the doors to dialogue.

The success of this forum and consequent events was nothing short of a blessing from Allah.

Black History Month: Video Screening & Discussion

On February 16th, at the MSC Lounge, on the day that it snowed SO much that Legal Studies 400: Islamic Law & Jurisprudence was cancelled, MSA screened an Oscar-nominated 1975 documentary on Malcolm X. A discussion was led by Professor Michael Thomas after the video.

Ashura Iftar

On February 9th, an Iftar was held on the observance of Ashura (10th day of Muharram).

MSA Discussion

On February 4th MSA had a discussion where lots of things were discussed and pizza was eaten.

Girls' Henna Night | Guys' Dinner

I'm not sure what the girls did - probably girly things. The guys ate - alhamdulillah (we like to keep it simple).

I would like to point out here that I'm going to miss Mr. Sher Sherwani, who I affectionately call Tiger Pants...because that's what his name translates to, literally.

Spring Kick-off Dinner!

Apparently we had a Spring Kick-Off Dinner on January 20th. I have no recollection of this, so I'm going to pretend that it never happened -- unless of course, there are pictures from the event.

Open Mic!

The first Open Mic session was held on December 2nd at the very top of Van Hise. There were people, poetry, and pizza -- how perfect!

General Body Meeting

The MSA had it's first general body meeting after the kick-off on November 17th. About 8 people came...but on the bright side, there was lots of humus...actually even the humus was kind of frozen. Basically, the only fun thing was Rizwan and his pink phone. Actually, I'm not sure if Riz had his pink phone by then - I could just be imagining this.

Eid Party 2005

The Malaysian Islamic Students' Association organized a wonderful eid party on Sunday, November 13th. MISA is great!

Fast-A-Thon 2005

The 2nd annual Fast-A-Thon brought lots of people, and not to mention GREAT looking t-shirts! MSA is cool.

Qiyam al-Layl

Qiyam al-Layl services were held on Friday, October 28th at the Islamic Center.

Earthquake Fundraiser

During the month of Ramadan, severe earthquakes devastated Pakistan and India. To help with the recovery effort, the local Madison Muslim community, along with the MSA organized a fundraiser led by a representative from Islamic Relief.

Ramadan 2005

Ramadan 2005

This year, with the help of the Islamic Center of Madison, the MSA at UW-Madison has worked to provide iftars throughout campus and in the Islamic Center, as well as at Masjid as-Sunnah.

Preparing to Submit: Is Your Soul Ready for Ramadan?

Close to 50 people attended this inspirational pre-Ramadan panel in preparation for Ramadan!

Speakers: Arif Hussain & Abdul Sattar Ahmad

(Former and current presidents of Young Muslim - ICNA Chicago!)

! FREE PIZZA !

Saturday, October 1st, 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Union South: TITU

A Message from the MSA Board

Assalaamu Alaikum WarahmatAllahi Wabarakatahu,

The Muslim Students Association Executive Board is pleased to announce a great success for its first ever Back-to-School Fundraiser. By the grace of Allah (SWT) and the generosity of our fellow students and community members, we succeeded in collecting over $2,600 in donations. We would like to take this opportunity to express our praise and gratitude to Allah first and foremost, as well as our deepest appreciation to all of those who contributed to the cause. We look forward to serving our community to the best of standards, insha Allah, and we invite you to experience the fruits of your generosity by participating in some of our many events and services this year.

As Allah has promised, all of those who donate for His cause will certainly be given recompense for their charity many times over. Indeed, the best reward is with Him: "Those who spend their wealth by night and day, by stealth and openly, verily their reward is with their Lord, and no fear shall come upon them neither shall they grieve." (Holy Quran, 2:277)

We pray all of you will continue to provide us with support and encouragement.

Jazakum Allahu Khairan
Wasalaamu Alaikum,

MSA Executive Board

Katrina, Race, & Poverty - A Three Act American Tragedy

On Sunday, September 25th, MAS-Madison and MSA organized a presentation by Professor Michael K. Thomas, Ph.D., on the events of Katrina and it's social impact on many levels.

Using an interactive example involving the audience, Prof. Thomas displayed the effects of differences in soco-economic status, in an emergency situation such as Hurricane Katrina.

All funds raised at the event went towards arranging a Madison physician's relief mission to the effected area.

Back-2-School Dinner & Entertainment!

On Saturday, September 17th at Chadbourne Lounge, around 75-80 people attended MSA's dinner-fundraising event! Community members, parents, and students came to support MSA and made the event a great success mashaAllah.

The dinner event featured a nasheed performance from Br. Ahmad Abd Raffur & Br. Ziad Elnaka (percussions) who flew in all the way from Oklahoma (both performed at ISNA). An inspirational speech was also given by Br. Omar Atia (youth coordinator of the Chicago Chapter MAS), who's help with the event MSA is very thankful for.

Once again, MSA would like to thank all the community members, parents, and students that helped make this event a great success!