On Friday Sept. 21st, the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and the Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity (OSID) organized an Eid al-Adha dinner. Eid al-Adha is a traditional Islamic celebration: a time to eat food and spend time with family and friends.
The event was held in the Wilson Center, where the organization had several traditional Islamic foods on display—such as pulao and rice in wine leaves—and lots of tables for students to sit, talk, and eat together. Welcoming all interested students, the evening was spent playing trivia on Islamic culture, enjoying the buffet, and getting to know more about the meaning of Eid al-Adha.
The president of MSA, junior Dana Ghouleh, has been a part of MSA for two years. “A large part of Eid is community and celebrating with those around you. Even though it’s a religious holiday, I think it is important to mention it to the student body: not just the Muslim student body, but all the students of Augustana to get together and celebrate as a whole. A large part of Eid is community and celebrating it with those around you,” Ghouleh said.
Vice president of MSA sophomore Omidullah Barikzay said, “Obviously students don’t have their family members here, and [having] something [where] they can connect with other students, Muslims, or just having other people in the room, and they can talk to each other and have some connections—I think that’s important. For other students in this event, they can learn something about Islam as well.”
At the Eid al-Adha dinner, not only MSA members and Muslim students dropped in: they were joined by faculty members with their children and also a few non-Muslim students. Junior Ila Mostafa is one of the MSA members who helped put the dinner together. She dressed in a traditional dupatta, told those attending the event the story of the little lamb she befriended when she was a child and then enjoyed dinner. “I think it’s awesome that we get to celebrate Eid with the campus community this time and meet new people, and let them know more about Eid al-Adha,” Mostafa said.
About non-Muslim students showing up, she said, “I think that’s so awesome. Interfaith and understanding diversity on this campus has become a huge goal for people. I think events like this really, really help out with that. It’s a way of sharing our lives with others who may not have the same experiences as us.
“I think that’s the most important thing when we’re on a college campus. It’s important to be able to connect with people and learn about their lives—we can make connections across countries, across religions.”
The Eid al-Adha Dinner is not the only event organized by MSA. In support of all Muslim students, there is a prayer room accessible to students (Olin 306) and occasional community events.
 
Photo Above: Augustana College students serve themselves traditional Middle Eastern food at the Eid Mubarak dinner. Photo by Alia McMurray.