Muslim Students' Association - Activities

Activities

Further information: Fast-A-Thon and Muslim Interscholastic Tournament

Today, the organization is present in various forms on several campuses across the United States and Canada. In contrast to early membership, members are now frequently American-born Muslims. The groups are funded by campus students as well as the university to which it belongs. Activities include prayer times, lectures, discussion, and social events, and seek to unify Muslim students from different cultural backgrounds. MSAs host "Islamic Awareness Week" activities to educate students about Islam. At a campus level, groups lobby universities for recognition of Islamic holidays and prayer times, the availability and size of prayer rooms and for the provision of religiously permitted food on campus. MSAs engaged in various charitable activities. They raise funds through events known as "Fast-A-Thons", which originated at the University of Tennessee. The MSA launched a "Peace...not Prejudice" campaign to dispel stereotypes and paint Islam in a positive light.

The Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST) was founded in 2001 by a freshman at the University of Houston. It consists of annual Regional Tournaments for high school students in the United States and Canada that take place in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, DC, Philadelphia, New York City, Houston, Southern California, and Toronto. The winners from each Regional Tournament qualify to complete at the annual National Tournament. The tournament features 31 different competitions and lasts two-three days, ending with the Awards Ceremony on the final night.

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