I hope all of you are well and ready for the beginning of a new academic year. InshAllah, we will all be seeing each other soon. I hope everyone is just as excited as I am. But in midst of all the excitement of beginning a new school year, we must bear in mind our responsibilities as an association of Muslim students.

Muslims in America are faced with tensions, hardships, and discrimination brought about because of misunderstanding and fear.  We as Muslims are facing something similar to what the African Americans and Latinos endured in the pre-civil rights era.  Our brothers and sisters are harassed daily at airports, in universities, at work, and in their own community centers. People who are trying to take part in American society are being prevented from building community centers and mosques as new roots for themselves and future generations.  In parts of America — our own country — some Muslims and Islamic Centers have even been the targets of violent attacks.

Brothers and Sisters, we need to remind ourselves that we are chosen to be leaders for a reason. Every one of us has been put into our current circumstances by Allah S.W.T (dude above) who has appointed us to these duties, and we are being tested by Him.  We must work together in the MSA to serve our sisters and brothers in our university and the surrounding community by dedicating ourselves and giving what feels difficult to give from our time and effort. We all are struggling with busy schedules and heavy workloads, but believe me if there is anything we can do right now that can make a real difference in people’s lives, it is reaching out to the community as Muslim students, to let people see this beautiful character and way of life we were taught by the Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon him.

As Muslims, we should not hide or isolate ourselves from the world. Ignorance today is being spread in the media so fast that it will take all of our combined efforts to repair the damage and build bridges.  It is imperative that we extend a friendly hand to our neighbors and provide education to foster greater understanding.  We must do this for the sake of our mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, for our children and for our neighbors. Today we the UCSB Muslim Student Association need to stand in solidarity with the entire Santa Barbara community to overcome ignorance with knowledge and truth, and to put an end to discrimination by creating a relationship of peace and harmony with our neighbors.

UCSB Muslim Student Association

MSA meets every Wednesday at 5pm at the Middle Eastern Resource Center (MERC) in the Student Resource Building (SRB) at UCSB.  Visitors are always welcome!