Krishna Lunch wasn't the only tasty food served on the Plaza of the Americas Wednesday.
The scent of Arabic food wafted through the plaza, where UF student groups Islam On Campus and Arabic Cultural Association held their annual Islam Fair to kick off Islam Awareness Month.
Members of the two organizations and the Pakistani Student Association sat behind tables and answered students' questions about Islamic religion and culture.
"We just wanted to expose people to different Islamic cultures," said Derrick Peat, vice president of Islam On Campus. "We wanted to start off with a blast."
Free hummus, grape leaves, pitas and sweet rice were served to attract passers-by. Also, informational pamphlets and CDs, clothing, prayer rugs, hookahs and copies of the Quran were spread out on tables next to Library West.
"This is personal to us. This is music, this is fun," freshman Charissa Scott said.
Members conducting the fair took a break at 1:43 p.m. to observe Dhuhr, one of the five prayer times throughout the day. More than 40 students knelt facing east to pray, practicing one of the five pillars of faith upon which Islam is based.
The fair's goal was to combat misunderstandings related to Islam and to educate students with questions about the religion, which is currently the second largest religion in the world.
"Misconception is worse than ignorance," Scott said.
