Muslim Students Association
| Muslim Students Association | |
| |
| Founded: | 1956 |
| Recognition: | SGB |
| Membership: | 900 |
| Executive Board: | MSA Board |
| Category: | Religious clubs |
| Website: | Columbia MSA Website |
| Contact: | msa@columbia.edu |
The Columbia Muslim Students Association is one of the oldest in the United States. Students from all the undergraduate and graduate schools at Columbia participate in the CU MSA, contributing to its multi-faceted diversity. The MSA is dedicated to creating a strong Muslim community on campus by creating a space for Muslims to interact with one another as well as the larger Columbia University community. MSA events and initiatives are aimed at promoting a greater understanding of the religion of Islam among all members of the Columbia community. The MSA aims to strengthen the Muslim community while concomitantly building strong relations with the larger university and local community. This is done through various types of activities and events, ranging from interfaith community service projects to weekly Friday prayers.
In February 2012, AP reported that the NYPD Cyber Intelligence unit regularly monitored the websites of Muslim students groups several New York universities, including Columbia's MSA. Students were upset, Spec reported.
Structure
The MSA consists of an undergraduate executive board, a social justice branch (Project Nur), an alumni network, and a general body.
Yearly Events
In addition to the variety of events that the MSA hosts, there are three major events which occur annually:
Muslim Protagonist: a symposium on Muslims in literature and the arts.
Islam Awareness Week: a week filled with events with the purpose of spreading awareness about Islam.
Fast-a-thon: a banquet-style fundraiser that raises awareness for a charity and for the practice of fasting.
