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Assalamu Alaikum,
Dear Muslim students:
Welcome
to MSA National's December edition of the E-letter! If you have an MSA success
story or would like to share your MSA news, we would love to hear from you. The
deadline for submissions is the 15th of each month. Please
send all submissions and direct any questions to eletter@msanational.org.
Please
note: MSA National does not endorse and is not responsible for any of the
activities, events and projects listed in the E-letter
other than those organized by MSA National
itself.
Thank-you,
Your E-letter Team
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| From the President's Desktop |
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From the President's Desktop
Asma Mirza
December 2007
Salams MSAers and a belated Eid Mubarak! I pray we all made the most of the days of Dul Hija and did well on our final papers and exams.
Despite the flurry of final papers and exams, our officers worked hard to implement projects and services as well as represent Muslim students.
First, I hope you will all join me in welcoming Sr. Yasmin Hussein as the new chair of the Community Service Task Force! We thank Br. Sohaib, the outgoing chair, for all of his hard work and pray that Allah swt will bring Sr. Yasmin sucess in her new role.
Your Zonal Reps held the first monthly Zonal Conference Call in the "Key Lessons for MSA Workers" series. After overwhelmingly positive feedback, we are excited about this month's call, "Learning from the Sahabah (Companions of The Prophet): Key Lessons for MSA Workers" with guest speaker Br. Altaf Husain.
I am also very excited to announce that the site for the 2008 MSA National Central Zone conference has been chosen: congratulations to the St. Louis MSAs! As the conference planning progresses, Sr. Nura and the Central Zone committee will bring you updates.
Also this month Sr. Randa Kuziez, Treasurer, joined Ms. Shabaz, the daughter of Malcom X, and representatives from other Muslim organizations, including Dr. Suliman Yang, on a trip with Malaria No More to Mali (http://www.malarianomore.org/). Sr. Zeina Sleiman, VP Canada, attended an international conference for Muslim women leaders in Dubai. She not only represented MSA National but was able to learn about our counterpart organizations in other countries. You can read about Sr. Zeina's amazing experiences in this E-letter.
As many of you know, MSA National continues to work to dispel stereotypes about Muslims in North America. As part of the effort, MSA National joined other Muslim organizations in co-signing the North American Fiqh Council's Fatwa against terrorism. I along with local MSA leaders represented Muslim Students at a "Uniting to Protect" luncheon held by Cardinal McCarrik at the National Press Club for a presentation of the Anti-Terror Fatwa with interfaith Partners. You can view the event on CSPAN: http://www.c-span.org/rss/video.asp?MediaID=33614For me, it was an amazing experience to attend part of the DC Project Downtown, held by the DC Council. Well over 40 students and Alumni helped make and distribute food to the homeless on a cold, winter day.
I also had the pleasure of attending the Washington, DC premiere of "USA vs Al-Arian" a powerful, award-winning documentary describing the imprisonment of a former University of South Florida professor. Dr. Al-Arian is still in prison today despite being found not guilty on most counts by a jury (the jury remained deadlocked on minor counts). You can learn more about the film at http://www.usavsalarian.com/ 
In the next few weeks we will begin our mid-term assessment. Please fill out this suvery to give us your feedback so we can continue to serve our fellow Muslim students in the best way possible. I pray we all make the most of the most wonderful time of the year - Winter Break! Wassalams! Asma Mirza President MSA National |
Opportunities for Muslim Writers
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In January 2008 MSA National's Media & Communication Task Force will be offering new opportunities for Muslim writers to contribute to continent-wide MSA publications. All applicants must be:
- Students and/or recent graduates of Journalism (or related programs) in North America
- Have relevant writing experiences
- Submit 3 writing samples
- Complete an application form
For additional information or to request an application form, e-mail msalink@msanational.org.
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Send In Your MSA Pictures
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MSA National is calling on all MSA chapters to send in pictures of their events. Feel free to include a description of what the photographs are showcasing.
Please send all photographs to: msalink@msanational.org and be sure to include the name of your campus.
These photographs may be used in MSA National's publications and will aim to highlight the work of Muslim students!
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| Updates From Your Zonal Reps |
EAST ZONE USA
Asalaamu Alaikum!
It is crazy to think that a semester has already gone by! InshAllah I pray that everyone's finals went well and that you all have a safe and amazing break! For those of you who are able to attend Hajj InshAllah, I pray that you have a safe journey, and that Allah(swt) makes it easy for!
Even though school is out, MSA National has got some cool things for you to check out! As many of you heard, last month we had our very first Continent-wide Scholar call with Imam Magid! Alhumdulilah it was a huge success and we will be having another one on December 26th at 10PM EST with Brother Altaf Husain! So make sure you check it out because you do not want to miss out!
I am going to leave you all with a few notes from last month's call with Imam Magid that was on the topic of activism.
Activism should be based upon two things: knowledge and spirituality. Without these our activism becomes hollow. Throughout the history of Islam, activism was never separated from the worship of Allah or from attaining a connection to Allah. So as Muslim student activists, what should we do? Here are just some ideas:
1. Safeguard your Salah throughout all your activism. Salah is a way of recharging ourselves, purifying our intentions, protecting our deeds, asking Allah for help, and reflecting and contemplating.
2. Group Fasting: As a group of MSA members, we should fast together to create a special bond among ourselves.
3. Recite the Quran/Connect with the Quran. Choosing five verses from the Quran. Look at your shortcomings and find a section of the Quran to address those shortcomings and fix them inshallah. Our salvation is the Quran.
4. Remind yourself of death and Akirah. Visit a local Muslim cemetery.
That was just a small taste of Imam Magids amazing talk! Make sure to check out this month's call so you don't miss out on all the good stuff! Take care and have a great break!
Wassalaam!
Sumrah Haider
ezrepusa@msanational.org
WEST ZONE USA
I hope this finds all of you in great health. Alhamdulillah, the last few weeks have been busy in the West Zone. We have received proposals from several chapters that are in interested in hosting the annual West Zone Conference. InshAllah we will be making a decision shortly and notifying you so that you can make your traveling arrangements. I am sure traveling sounds like an intriguing proposition as we have all just completed another grueling finals week!
This past month MSA National hosted the first Contient-wide Scholar Call with Imam Magid. Alhamdulillah, it was a great success. The idea is that we host a call that is accessible to all MSA students across the US and Canada. We have a scholar/community leader address the attendees of the call and then we follow with an interactive conversation between the scholar and the audience. This month we will be hosting our second one with Altaf Husain, former president of MSA National and a community leader from Virginia. Please visit the MSA National web site for more details on the call.
JazakAllah khair for all the hard work! Remember that the MSA provides you a forum to do a lot of Islamic and social work. So keep up the good work!
Please feel free to contact me at wzrepusa@msanational.org and keep me in your duas!
Wassalams,
Zeeshan Qasim
EAST ZONE CANADA
Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah!
MSA National will be at the Reviving the Islamic Spirit Conference for the first time! Come visit us at the booth and find out more information about upcoming events, the Zonal Conference, and how you can get your MSA involved.
Alhamdulilah there has been much activity throughout the zone with many MSAs contributing and engaging in their communities. The MSAs of South Western Ontario have been doing this together for past 3 years and have accomplished many noteworthy successes. One of the very foundational service that is steadily growing and moving towards a bright future is the establishment of the South Western Ontario MSA Council. As a regional council SWOMSA has been able to provide each executive bodies with a functional network for collaboration, resource and experience sharing. SWOMSA seeks to provide support to the Executives of the MSAs and help the executives reach their potential in order to lead their student group on campus. This is a vital service as it encourages training, sharing and encouragement for each respective executive.
Brother Mujtabah is the co-coordinator this year; he is currently on co-op at the University of Waterloo and confirms there are a lot of things to look forward to for SWOMSA.
"In the works for next semester are events such a Media-Relations workshop, SWOMSA Olympics, Ski Trip, Quiz Bowl, and some more Leadership Training, inshAllah.
A special mention goes out to the University of Guelph Muslim Students' Association for they are the first winners of a series of inter-MSA competitions. As The Best of SWOMSA, they've shown their dedication in the spirit of Siblinghood."
The website for SWOMSA is www.swomsa.com, if you want to know more about the SWOMSA council or are interested in joining or forming one for the benefit of your executive bodies, please contact us.
Wa alaikum salaam,
Qudsiyya Zalgoanker
ezrepcan@msanational.org
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| Continent-wide Conference Call for MSA
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Join December's continent-wide Zonal Conference Call titled
"Learning from the Sahabah (Companions of The Prophet): Key Lessons for
MSA Workers" with Br. Altaf Husain. This amazing lecture is a
must-listen for all MSA members!
December 26th at 10pm EST
RSVP: E-mail msaconferencecall@msanational.org to get the call information!
For updates, please visit: http://www.msanational.org/events/conferencecalls/
Br. Altaf Husain - BiographyBr Altaf is a doctoral candidate in the Howard University School of Social Work, focusing on Muslim immigrant and refugee adaptation in the United States. He is a double alumnus of Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), receiving his bachelor's and master's degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Social Work, respectively. Br Altaf is a board member the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), and Islamic Social Services Association of the US and Canada (ISSA). He is also a licensed social worker in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He has served Vice President - US (1997-1999) and two terms as President (1999-2001, 2001-2003) MSA National. Currently he serves on the Board of Advisers of MSA National and is a staff member of COMPASS, the MSA National Training Program. He currently resides in northern Virginia with his wife and two sons. |
| Affiliate Your MSA Chapter
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Asalaamu Alaikum MSAers!
If you want to make the most of what MSA National has to offer you, affiliate your MSA chapter by visiting this website. You can easily complete this online or mail in your form.
Affiliate your MSA today and participate in the great services MSA National can offer you, including:
1. Hosting Zonal Conferences
2. Participating in conference calls
3. Voting
4. Running for office
5. Inviting COMPASS training to your chapter
6. Requesting speakers' contact information
7. Joining the largest network of Muslim students in North America
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COMPASS Training for MSA Chapters
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COMPASS is MSA National's management training program. Designed to address the growing demand for management training programs from campus organizations, COMPASS strives to offer Muslim students the skills, tools, and resources they need to best serve their communities.
The Mission of COMPASS is to train Muslim students to manage highly effective campus organizations and to serve their campus community with dedication and excellence.
COMPASS provides training workshops on topics such as:
Communication Skills
Conflict Resolution
Gender Interactions
Financial management and fundraising
Project management
Strategic planning
Succession planning
Time management
Testimonials - MASHALLAH, it was really really good alhamdulillah. And I enjoyed this year much more than last year. Not only were the presentations concise and clear and interesting, the interactive exercises really helped to create bonds between us sisters. Alhamdulillah (New Jersey program participant, 2007)- Some of our members attended your communication and gender interactions sessions at the West Zone conference and had only positive feedback to give, so we're all very interested to see what other material you might have for us (West Zone USA Zonal Conference participant, 2007)To request COMPASS training for your campus, please contact compass@msacompass.org or contact your Zonal Representative
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Give Your Feedback to MSA National! |
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Did you like a MSA Project? Want to see more of something? Voice your opinion!
Please click here and fill out our feedback form! |
| Reflections on the 6th Annual International Women's Conference in Sharja
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Assalamu Alaykum,
From November 24th until November 29th, I had the privilege of attending the 6th Annual International Women's Conference in Sharja, U.A.E. as the Canadian Representative. This event is organized and funded by the Higher Council on Family Affairs and brings together various Muslim women in leadership from across the world. Participants come from nations including Bosnia, Japan New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. This year's conference included 38 delegates, many which came from the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
The conference included many workshops on leadership development. One of the workshops was conducted by Dr. Hariyati who currently teaches Psychology at the University of Malaysia. She also founded and runs the Mercy Foundation, a non-governmental organization that works to bring help to needy people who suffer from natural disasters all over the world. The conference also included visits to several cultural sites that represent Emarati culture as well as several visits to the Sharja University. Furthermore, the week was marked by a visit to Sheikha Jawaher (Chairperson of the Higher Council on Family Affairs). Other notable speakers included Khadijah Bint Qunnah (Aljazeera Reporter). This year's theme for the conference was "Women in Development" and during the opening speech Sheikha Jawahir stated that "it is in our duty to take part in progress and the development process at every level possible".
This event was particularly interesting because it provided an opportunity for Muslim women from all over the world to come together for a week to exchange ideas and interact. There were ten delegates that represented the United Arab Emirates and being able to spend time with them through these sessions brought an interesting cultural insight. Living in North America, it is sometimes hard to remember the young women from across the globe who are working for our Muslim communities to build better societies for everyone.
For more details on the conference, visit the official website at www.women-forums.com
Zeina Sleiman
Vice President Canada
MSA National
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MSA National does not endorse and is not responsible for any of the
activities, events and projects listed in the E-letter other than those
organized by MSA National itself. The following activities, events and
projects are not organized by MSA National:
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| Metropolitan Washington Quran Recitation Competition
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IMW Quran Recitation Competition
Islamic Center Northern Virginia Trust
Saturday March 29th, 2008
For more information or to register visit www.icnvt.org or e-mail mwqrc@yahoo.com
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| Former MSA Student, Musa Syeed, Wins Short Documentary Award |
 A Son's Sacrifice follows the journey of Imran, a young American Muslim who confronts his roots at his father's slaughterhouse in New York City. On the holiest day of the year, Imran must lead his community in a sacrifice that forces him to define himself as a Muslim. | |
The Muslim Students Association National, headquartered near Washington
D.C., has been serving Muslim students on colleges and university campuses across the United States
and Canada since 1963. There are over 250 MSA chapters on university and college campuses throughout the
United States and Canada.
Sincerely,
Your MSA National Board of Directors:
Ex-officio: Mohamed Sheibani
President: Asma Mirza
Vice President of the USA: Hajar Abdul-Rahim
Vice President of Canada: Zeina Sleiman
Treasurer: Randa Kuziez
Your MSA National Zonal Representatives:
East Zone Canada Rep: Qudsiyya Zalgaonker
East Zone US Rep: Sumrah Haider
Central Zone US Rep: Nura Sediqe
West Zone Canada Rep: Samir Hassan
West Zone US Rep: Zeeshan Qasim
Your MSA National Task Force Chairs:
Community Service: Yasmin Hussein
COMPASS: Idris El-Bakri
Media and Communication: Zainab Khan
Information Technology: Meraj Ahmed
Programs: Chancey Gannett
Your MSA National Office Staff:
Asma Rehman
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Spotlight on MSA
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MSA National would like to congratulate the MSA at the University of Ottawa for a fantastic year! UOMSA organized daily iftars for over 100 students, Quran classes for students, a ski trip, bus trips to national conferences and many other events that brought the students together. Keep up the great work!
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