#mescucr

Eid al-Adha is the second annual Muslim celebration, the first being Eid Al-fitr which follows the holy month of Ramadan. Eid Al-Adha, which will be starting on Friday September 1st, is a four-day holiday observed by Muslims all around the world that marks the end of the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and Abraham’s devotion to Allah. The day before Eid al-Adha, known as day of Arafah, is the last day of hajj where worshippers in Mecca perform prayers and rituals near mount Arafat while Muslims everywhere else fast on the same day. Eid Al-Adha translates into ‘the festival of sacrifice’ because it is a time where families that are financially capable pay for an animal (usually sheep) to sacrifice and give out the meat to those in need. Families celebrate Eid by visiting family relatives, gathering with loved ones, sharing food, and performing Eid prayers together.

Al Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt

Southern Province of Narathiwat, Thailand

Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan

Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Palestine

Kuffeyeh (Arabic)

A Kuffeyeh is a common traditional Middle Eastern Headdress worn around the neck or over the head in many Arab countries. It is usually made of cotton and was originally worn specifically by farmers to protect the face and neck from dust and high heat from the sun. It is also a Palestinian National symbol and is a symbol of national pride in several Middle Eastern countries. It is also called a “hatta” , “shmagh”” and several other terms as well. 

Above are photos taken by one of our students this summer while visiting the city of Jerash in Jordan, the second biggest tourist attraction in Jordan after Petra.

By Tamara Mustafa

    The USSA Annual National Student Congress took place on August 10th - August 14th at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. USSA or The United States Student Association is the oldest and largest national student association dedicated to building student power through organizing and developing grassroots campus bases, campaigns, and leadership that aim at dismantling systems of oppression around the nation.

   I had the pleasure of traveling to the conference in Orlando with a delegation of ten special and strong student delegates from UCR who shared my strong passion for social justice and activism. The experience overall was both challenging and very eye-opening for a group of students coming from California, where the political and social atmosphere is both very unique and different than that of any other state. As a diverse group of young students, we immediately noticed an occasional sense of hostility and judgement from the stares and remarks that we faced by some individuals that were clearly aimed at us to establish a feeling of intimidation within our group. However, despite the culture shock and the unfamiliarity of the attitudes in Orlando,  our group was determined to be nothing but courageous and vocal about the issues we so passionately felt needed to be both addressed and organized around.

   The diversity present at the conference was so truly beautiful and empowering to witness and to be a part of. The beauty of that diversity came with the diversity of the struggles and challenges that everyone at the conference shared so honestly and courageously in the numerous workshops and activities that we participated in. It is one thing to read and study about the huge amount of pain and suffering people go through as a result of injustice and inequality everywhere, but it is so much more powerful to be in a setting where you personally exchange your journeys and stories to inspire and create unity and solidarity.

   Throughout the five days I spent at the conference, I spoke with people that identify with communities I have been relatively unfamiliar with such as the LGBTQ, undocumented, and South Asian communities. The best lesson I gained from the conference is that we cannot begin to organize campaigns and projects to help those that are struggling until we reach a clear understanding of their unique identities and what it is like to experience their daily lives. Going out into an unfamiliar place and having significant interactions with people from unfamiliar backgrounds is the most essential part of creating change and better lives for those around us.