Muslim Student Association hosts Ramadan dinner

The UConn Muslim Student Association (MSA) is hosting their annual Ramadan Awareness Dinner at 7:00 p.m. Thursday in South Campus's Rome Ballroom.

The MSA is expecting close to 300 people to attend. A lot of attendees will be Muslims, said MSA secretary and 5th semester biomedical engineering major Khayriyyah Munir. "[We] hope for a lot of non-Muslims to come as well," Munir said.

Admission to the event is free, and includes dinner.

Dr. Jimmy Jones, Associate Professor of World Religions at Manhattanville College and President of Masjid Al-Islam in New Haven, is the keynote speaker at the dinner.

This year's theme is 'Fasting for the Future.'

One of the main purposes for the event, Munir said, is "to educate the student body."

This includes explaining the importance of fasting, as well as talking about what life is like for Muslims on campus.

The MSA's Web site states that the organization is "dedicated to increasing the UConn community's understanding of the Islamic faith and practices."

"We try to make it as much of a cultural experience for non-Muslims as possible," said Munir.

She said that initially the dinner has been attended by mostly Muslims from UConn and the community, but there has been a push from USG to include more non-Muslims. MSA received full USG funding for this year's Ramadan Awareness Dinner.

Munir said many First Year Experience class instructors use this event for extra credit or as a class requirement for their freshman students. Munir, who is also an RA on campus, said the dinner is a good example of a cultural experience that other RAs can use to get students involved in the community. Several members of university faculty are also expected to attend.

The dinner, often called an iftar, will consist of a reading of the Koran, prayer, dinner after sundown and a speech by Jones, said Munir.

Ramadan began on Aug. 22. To commemorate the end of Ramadan, Munir said the MSA is trying to coordinate a trip for students to Six Flags on Sept. 26 for their annual Muslim Family Day.