Muslim Student Association (MSA) organized Islam Awareness Week at Stockton. It began from Tuesday, 15 April 2014 and lasted till 20 April 2014, and the students organizing the event did various activities to spread awareness about the Muslim community and Islamic religion.

I had read about the events around the campus on TV screens but didn’t think about attending their table. But on Thursday of the same week, when I was working at the tutoring center, my colleagues walked in with stuffed animals. They said a table was giving away stuffed animals just down the hallway. So, me and my other friends who were working decided to go and check. It turned out to be the MSA.

The MSA was promoting their event, they would interact with the students who would stop by their table and talk to them about their religion. They had free food and drinks. The best part about their table was the stuffed animals, but it wasn’t easy to get them. They would ask a basic question about their Islam and the right answer would get you a stuffed animal. Students were swarming around their table. Before one would leave the MSA representative would ask the student to write down one daily struggle on a piece of paper and they would stick it on a poster that read, “what is Jihad?”

One of my friends was a member of the MSA. I bumped into her the day after I went to the MSA table with stuffed animals. She told me they did other events earlier in the week as well and they were surprised by the large response as well. They did an event where they would show girls how to tie a hijab. The MSA did a great job in promoting and educating people about the Jihad they hear and see about on TV related to terrorism is not the only Jihad.

Stockton, is a very diverse school. When minorities organize events and spread awareness about their communities, unity in diversity is established. MSA worked really hard behind this event. The student representatives were studying for their finals and preparing for the table at the same time. It was a great initiative