The Muslim Student Association and the Center for Intercultural Relations held a basketball tournament with a twist, on Nov. 30. The event was based on Islamic teachings surrounding the importance of exercising and taking care of your body.
The event at the Aztec Recreation Center drew over 30 participants. While women were encouraged to play, only male teams signed up. The three-hour event started with a short presentation by former MSA president Hazem Chrabekh, a senior psychology major.
“The religion has a lot of spirituality but there is also a lot about mental and physical health,” Chrabekh said.“I tried to reiterate the importance of physical health and the three main points I focused on were sleep, diet and exercise.”
Attendees went on to play a 3 on 3 basketball tournament. Most attendees were Muslim, but several non-Muslim attendees were present as well. This was freshman MIS and marketing major Thando Adama’s first event.
“Gaining worldwide knowledge of different ethnic backgrounds and religions, being open minded and not so stuck in our way is so important,” said Adama. “We get to talk to different people of different cultures.”
MSA aims to connect members of the community as well as teach everyone about Islam in fun and educational ways. The club currently boasts over 150 members.
“MSA is a place where we can meet together as a community and talk about our religion and expand our knowledge,” Adam Samyan, MSA’s director of External Relations and a junior political science and economics major said.
MSA welcomes everyone at San Diego State University to learn more about the faith of Islam, or “deen.” MSA maintains a steadfast prescense on campus to represent Muslims and Islam.
“It shows our voice on campus. There is a community here where we are strong together and we are here leaning on one another,” Samyan said. “Even if you’re not part of the Muslim community its a great way to meet people who are from different backgrounds.”
More information on MSA events can be found on their Instagram.
