SAN DIEGO – Amid increasing anti-Muslim tirades in media, the Muslim Student Association in San Diego University is making a difference on campus, reaching out to non-Muslim colleagues.

“I got involved through social engagement and it was really cool meeting some people who are now my best friends,” Ahmed Buzeriba, the head of the MSA, told The Daily Aztec on Wednesday, September 21.

Entering campus for the first time years ago, the public health senior is going into his second term this semester as the head of the Muslim group.

The organization was founded in an effort to promote Islam, unite Muslim students on campus and reach out to the non-Muslim community on campus.

Senior sustainability major, Tessa Wiwy joined the MSA during her first year at SDSU as a non-Muslim member.

Receiving help from her friends in the organization through her first year on campus, she reverted to Islam.

“I felt a lot of support and I found a community within the MSA,” Wiwy said.

Wiwy said the organization creates a welcoming environment and a good place to feel at home on campus.

“If you’re a Muslim it’s a really good place to find a community that you fit in with,” she said. you’re a non-Muslim it also is a place where you can find people who are active and learn more about the religion.”

This year, the organization works to increase membership, tabling and visibility.

“We want to make sure that Muslim students and non-Muslim students alike know that there is a Muslim student association on campus,” Buzeriba said.

Spreading Awareness

Held last spring, Islam awareness week is one of the most successful events organized by the organization.

Their success in promoting diversity on campus is one of the group’s main achievements.

“We have so many clubs from religious to social to political that expand over many topics and even push borders that you never would think are allowed to be crossed,” Rodrigo Lopez, a senior biology major, said.

Lopez reverted to the Islam religion two years ago.

Though he is not a member of the MSA, he believes that organizations on campus allow creativity and people to share their thoughts.

“We want the general population at SDSU to know that we are very inclusive,” Buzeriba said.

The MSA president said that the current political climate has affected Islam image on campus, an effect they are trying to reverse.

“We are willing to work with every single student organization on this campus to promote a general positive outlook for humanity and this campus,” he said.