Students can now wear hijabs and get free henna tattoos as part of Islam Appreciation Month.
While UF’s Islam On Campus has hosted an appreciation month every February for several years, they wanted to have more interesting events this year, said Maria Ilyas, the chair of the appreciation month. The month, which will feature eight events, aims to give students an appreciation for Islamic beliefs and traditions.
“We just want to expose people to our side of the story and explain what Islam really is, because a lot of times it’s very different than the light that the media paints us in,” the 20-year-old said.
IOC began preparing for the month last summer, the UF microbiology junior said. The first event is the Islam Fair on the Plaza of the Americas, which will run today and Tuesday. All events for the month are open to the public.
The events are for all students, not just those who practice Islam, said Sameer Saboungi, a current IOC member and the former vice president of external affairs. Members of the club see the month as a time to clarify rumors surrounding Islamic culture.
“Once students come out to our events and meet IOC members, they soon find out there’s nothing scary, mysterious or narrow-minded about us,” the UF international studies and political science senior said.
“We’re fun students struggling with school like everyone else,” the 21-year-old said. “IAM (Islam Appreciation Month) can break any assumptions people may have about IOC.”
More information about the Islam Appreciation Month events can be found on the IOC’s Facebook page.
