Students Celebrate Muslim Faith on UMD Campus

Awareness Week at UMD Celebrates Islam

The hijab is a head covering worn by Muslim women as a symbol of modesty and privacy.

And at UMD it’s a symbol for Muslim awareness.

Hijab Day is a chance for Muslims to show the campus one aspect of their faith that people can plainly see but perhaps not plainly understand.

Posing for pictures in a hijab, or just trying one on, it’s a chance to spread awareness about what being a Muslim is all about.

It’s part of a week-long celebration of Islam on campus at UMD, and it comes at a time where some Muslims in America receive increased scrutiny from outsiders to their faith. 

“So we’re really letting people into our culture, and letting them know what we wear,” said Hatim Qadri, Vice President of the Muslim Student Association on campus. “They get to have fun, we have a nice photo booth set over there, and we’re just having a good time letting everyone know.”

Qadri says he and his peers want to spread this kind of awareness, because people tend to have blanket assumptions of the Muslim faith, which can sometimes be unfair.

“It’s really important to just sit down and have a conversation with a Muslim you can meet, and not just one Muslim, many different Muslims,” Qadri said. “Just like in every religion, every person has a different interpretation and very different views.”

With nearly 11,000 students enrolled, UMD has Muslim students from the United States, Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, and many countries in Africa.