This week is Islam Awareness Week at VCU and the Muslim Student Alliance has worked hard to create outreach and education-oriented events

This week is Islam Awareness Week at VCU and the Muslim Student Alliance has worked hard to create outreach and education-oriented events — ranging from seminars to prayer groups to art classes on campus.

The week is divided into morning and evening events. With evening events focusing on education, including Honors College Berglund Seminars, and morning events devoted to community service and the arts.

Vice president of the Muslim Student Alliance Nadia Rentia and former president of the organization Waleed Llyas worked together to organize the week-long series of events at VCU.

“Islam is a beautiful religion,” Rentia said. “People would understand if they took the time to really know it or just get to know the people.”

Llyas recalled his youth for inspiration for the awareness week — he said when his family immigrated to the U.S. in 2007 and there were only few Muslims in the Lynchburg, Va. community.

“It’s difficult to grow in faith in that condition and part of our faith is that we do things together. The stronger everyone is together the better we all are, faith wise and also as people.” Llyas said. “This is my driving force in organizing Islam Awareness Week.”

Rentia’s driving force is more outreach-oriented.

“I guess for me, doing things with non-Muslims has been one of my priorities,” Rentia said, adding that she doesn’t blame non-Muslims for holding potentially-negative stereotypes, since it is what they are fed by the media, but she wants to challenge that narrative.

The first event, “Fact vs. Fiction: Debunking myths about Islam” takes place today.

“With all the shared links that you can do on Facebook it’s difficult to really see what information is authentic and what someone who doesn’t necessarily have any knowledge or credibility just kind of published,” Llyas said. “So this event showcases authentic sources from our teachings and religion and presents them in order to divide what is fabricated and what is actually and factually correct.”

On Tuesday and Wednesday roses will be handed out and a geometric art class will take place at the Compass, followed by pool and board games at the Breakpoint room in the Commons. Scarves of Solidarity, the brainchild of a non-Muslim supporter, is an invitation for women of all denominations to experience wearing a hijab for a day.

Thursday will feature a community service event where summer crops will be planted in the VCU Learning Gardens. Faith groups such as Jewish Life at VCU and the Campus Ministry have also been invited to participate.

“Community service is something valuable to all of our religions,” Rentia said. “I feel like the Muslim community in the past has been very reactive. Something bad happens and then we have to scramble and be like ‘no we’re not all like that.’”

Rentia said she also believes in being proactive and working with other faith groups.

“We met with the church and just the way they welcomed us and said, ‘we’re with you,’ meant so much,” Rentia said. “We are not just MSA we are trying to fit in with our community and to be part of this community.”

Thursday evening will feature a seminar, “What Islam Means to Me: A Spiritual Journey,” where VCU students and alumni who have converted to Islam will share how and why they chose their faith.

The final event for the week will be an open prayer taking place in the Student Commons; this is not strictly an Islam Awareness Week event as it is held weekly.

“The way the election turned out, our understanding of our environment now is different from what we thought then.” Llyas said, “It really tells us that we have to put a focus on this. If we start these discussions, we can create something really good out of it. If we don’t put this awareness out, then who is going to?”

Dawn Scott, Contributing Writer