The Islamic Center of Laramie, in partnership with the UW Muslim Student Association (MSA), makes up a strong community within Laramie.
Members of the Islamic community in Laramie hail from diverse places ranging including Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Syria, and many other countries, yet the community is united in their belief in one God.
“In Islam in gerneral, we support being in a group; it’s always better to do whatever you do when you are in a group, so it’s easier to support you,” said Rami Alloush, a graduate student majoring in Petroleum Engineering.
Alloush referenced a teaching of the Prophet Muhammid that “the believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever,” to explain how important community is for Muslims.
“If you’re suffering something and don’t have any relatives or really anything– any place in the world, if you just go to the masjid (Mosque) these Muslim people there are your brothers” said Alloush. “We are brothers for the whole community– the whole of humanity.”
Many members of the MSA are grateful for the respect given to them by fellow students and the university as a whole.
“It is more old people outside of school that are more publicly, openly racist”
-Fiza Kahn
“I feel like I’ve never really faced any, like, discrimination or anything from anyone I’ve grown up with,” said Fiza Khan, a recent graduate of UW, “It’s usually older people outside of school that are more publicly, openly racist.”
Members of the MSA are also willing and excited to answer questions people might have.
“I’ve made friends and, like, they’re really open about asking me questions and I love it when people ask me questions, like, about my religion, or my culture, or anything,” said Amel Ksaibati.
“If I am allowed to speak on behalf of the [Islamic] community, we’d really love to thank the Laramie community,” said Alloush, “We love being part of the community and thank the whole large community for being that welcoming, that accepting, that open minded.”
The MSA typically meets biweekly on Wednesdays, but an exact time and location has not been determined yet this semester.
The Islamic Center of Laramie offers weekly prayer services at 12:15 on Fridays which are open to the public.
The MSA and Islamic Center of Laramie also plans to host events throughout the year for major religious holidays, and invites members of the community to attend.
