Organizers of Islam Awareness Week hope to address the teachings of Islam

Islam Awareness Week kicked off at George Mason University on Monday with a speech by Imam Siraj Wahaj.

The Mason Muslim Student Association (MSA) sponsored the event and is organizing the week’s festivities. According to the MSA the goal of the week is to address the basic teachings and principles of Islam.

“A great majority of individuals are ignorant or misinformed about the religion, so in executing our program, we hope to impart basic and accurate knowledge in a new and creative manner to help enlighten the overall community,” MSA Public Relations Officer Sarah Albani said by e-mail.

MSA’s first event for the week was a speech by Imam Siraj Wahaj, a well known speaker in the Islam community who discussed current issues in the Muslim world. Wahaj was too ill to attend in person and so spoke to students through Skype.

Wahaj said it was important for Muslims to correct misconceptions about Islam.

“Muslims have a tremendous responsibility to inform people on what Islam actually is,” said Wahaj.

He also said he believed it was crucial for both Muslims and non-Muslims to read the Qu’ran in context.

Junior Raheela Faza attended the event and felt that Wahaj did a good job of “emphasizing faith and the belief in one God…and that we all believe in the prophets, including Jesus.”

With such a diverse campus, the MSA hopes that the week-long set of events will help highlight what the Islamic faith actually is.

“Islam is a peaceful religion that preaches love and well-treatment of one another and of humanity as a whole,” Albani said.  “As Muslims, we each strive to exemplify that in our actions daily.”