As Muslim students continue to celebrate the first week of
Ramadan, breaking fast together every day behind Kerckhoff Hall,
the weather doesn’t seem to want to cooperate.
So where do they go when it rains?
The question brings about a larger issue for Muslim students on
campus: the ability and responsibility of UCLA to provide an
environment ““ both physical and metaphysical ““ for the
students to participate in one of the core elements of their
faith.
During Ramadan, the Muslim holy month in which followers fast
from sunrise to sunset, the Muslim Student Association organizes
group prayer and breaking of fasts at sundown in an uncovered,
open, paved area behind Kerckchoff Hall.
When it rains, they have to find another place to eat ““
like on Monday night when students moved into the basement of the
Student Activities Center while it rained for several hours.
Sami Hasan, president of MSA, said they are usually able to find
a room if the weather is bad and that they don’t mind the
outside venue. Others present at Tuesday night’s gathering
agreed.
“I’m pretty satisfied with the way things are. For
me, it’s more just the people and the food,” said Basim
Khan, a second-year medical student.
Komal Iqbal, a third-year anthropology student, said while she
was satisfied with the location, she would prefer a nice, inside
room.
Mike Kockler, MSA’s adviser in the Center for Student
Programming, said MSA breaks fast outside because food isn’t
allowed inside many of the normal student group meeting rooms.
“You can’t really do eating inside classrooms; it
has to be a special meeting room or a room designed to facilitate
meals. That kind of limits the options,” Kockler said.
Hasan said the fact that the students gather in a secluded place
underscores the need for more visibility for Muslim students on
campus so that others might understand Islamic traditions and
reject stereotypes aimed at Muslim students on campus after the
attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Former MSA President Ghaith Mahmood told the Daily Bruin on
Sept. 14, 2001, that some of his friends had been called
“terrorists” in the days after the assault on the World
Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Today, Hasan said he has generally found UCLA to be a
“welcoming, helpful, understanding” place for the
Muslim community on campus, but said Muslims could still be better
integrated into the community.
“I think it’s an awesome environment,” Hasan
said. “That’s not saying there’s no work to be
done.”
Hasan said much of MSA’s job is to create a bond between
UCLA ““ both as an academic and social institution ““ and
the Muslim community on campus.
Other organizations also have their own roles in making UCLA a
good host for Ramadan.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council distributes
funding to the various student groups on campus, including MSA, to
use to advertise and put on educational programming for events. The
university also allows student groups like MSA to use meeting rooms
on campus for free.
Tommy Tseng, a USAC general representative, said the council
aims to create a place on campus for all groups.
“Although we don’t specifically promote Ramadan and
issues surrounding the Muslim-American community, we’re
always promoting the ideas of inclusion and understanding and
diversity,” Tseng said.
Those issues are ones Hasan hopes to bring to light during
Ramadan this year.
“People need to get used to the fact that we have five
(daily) prayers, and we’ll pray ’em no matter
what,” Hasan said.