Tag: Community
-
Students commemorate lives lost in massacre in Philippines, call for “end to US imperialism”
As candles flickered in front of framed photos, around two dozen students and community members gathered for a vigil on the evening of Tuesday, May 5, 2026 in McKeldin Mall to commemorate victims of the Toboso massacre in April. “The Negros 19 massacre was not an isolated event nor an accident. It is a product…
-
Student-organized “Halal Food Fest” showcases cultural dishes
By: Noor Awan Student club Muslim Women in Medicine (MWM) hosted a “Halal Food Fest” on the afternoon of Friday, April 17, 2026 in Hornbake Plaza for students and community members. The event brought many organizations together to showcase their traditional food as well as sell popular halal snacks and drinks to UMD students. Along…
-
MSA hosts second annual bazaar for small businesses
On Thursday, April 23, 2026, the University of Maryland’s (UMD) Muslim Student Association (MSA) hosted their second annual bazaar, a place for Muslim students and alumni to create financial opportunity within the community. Vendors ranged from crochet arts, coffee, press-on nails and digitally made calligraphy art. Yasmin Kotb, a sophomore information science major, was a…
-
Over 100 community members gather for SJP ‘Falasteen Forever’ event celebrating Palestinian culture
Vibrant red tatreez patterns on attendees’ thobes and black-and-white keffiyehs filled the colony ballroom as over 100 guests gathered to attend the Students for Justice in Palestine’s (SJP) Falasteen Forever fundraiser event. Falasteen Forever was an event to showcase the work SJP did all semester and raise awareness on Palestinian struggle and culture, according to…
-
USM students charge Board of Regents with complicity in genocide at People’s Tribunal, call for divestment
By: Sumaya Abdel-Motagaly As the last student finished testifying during the public comments period of the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents meeting, students in attendance collectively stood up and began chanting “disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest.” Holding up signs reading “USM you have blood on your hands”…
-
UMD Muslim student launches matcha pop-up
As sisters in the UMD Muslim community gathered after midnight for worship and remembrance in the musallah, the Muslim prayer space on campus, the new matcha pop-up Btween Sips held its first event at the UMD MSA’s Sisters’ Qiyam Night. Yasmin Kotb, the sophomore information science major who founded Btween Sips in February, turned her…
-
The ethical dilemma in community fundraising
By: Sulayman Khan For Al-Hikmah Sulayman Khan is a bioengineering student at the University of Maryland and President of SCALE, a student organization that advocates for underserved elementary school students by hosting science competitions to spark interest in STEM. Across the Muslim community’s institutions, schools, mosques and nonprofits alike, a pattern incredibly dangerous to ignore…
-
UMD’s Arabic students search for new opportunities after Flagship program closure
By Timnit Rwakaara Since 2007, the University of Maryland at College Park has hosted an Arabic Flagship program, a federally funded initiative for students in the Arabic major or minor to gain advanced proficiency in the language. But starting Fall 2025, the program was no longer offered at UMD, leaving many students wondering what direction…
-
Cultural clubs go viral: the rise of reels
Within 24 hours of posting a trivia night promotion, the Muslim Student Association’s (MSA) 15 second reel, of members interrupting a board member with information about the event, garnered more than 11,000 views on Instagram. Cultural club promotions have not just reached the UMD community — they have gone viral. “Having a successful social media…
-
Sudan roundtable event raises awareness about war, genocide
NoirUnited International, a 501(c)(3) global development organization focused on mobilizing the African diaspora, hosted a Sudan Roundtable in collaboration with multiple student organizations, including Sudanese Student Association, African Student Association, African Students United for Progress, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Helping Hand for Relief and Development on Thursday, Nov. 6. The roundtable featured a…
Al-Hikmah 