Starving for change

Starving for change

Growing up, I always referred to UTD as a “brown school.” My mom especially felt more secure about sending me to UTD, knowing that a Muslim community was present and active. UTD takes pride in its diversity, but “diverse” does not always mean “inclusive.” The lack of halal eating options...

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Moving beyond misconceptions

Moving beyond misconceptions

One of the biggest consequences of being a minority sect in the midst of a big religion like Islam is that our traditions and viewpoints are never accurately represented in mainstream media, textbooks or even among other members of the Islamic community. As a Twelver Shiite, a sub-branch of the...

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Empowerment through sisterhood

Empowerment through sisterhood

The first all-Muslim sorority on campus and in the nation has gained its Greek letters. Originally established as the organization Muslimahs for Change by alumna Samira Maddox, Mu Delta Alpha was founded at UTD and has recently evolved into a professional sorority. MDA started with three members, but now has...

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Q&A: Hasan Minhaj

Q&A: Hasan Minhaj

Hasan Minhaj is a comedian known for his role as a senior correspondent on “The Daily Show” and his critically acclaimed Netflix special “Homecoming King.” The special involves his experiences growing up as an Indian-American Muslim in the United States and being subject to bullying and racism in his school...

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Perceptions about Muslim-Americans

Perceptions about Muslim-Americans

After conducting a study on attitudes towards Muslim students on campus, an alumna found evidence that the majority of UTD students view Muslims in a positive light. The study, conducted by alumna Faraha Hasan, explored the explicit and implicit attitudes toward Muslims from other Muslim and non-Muslim students through several...

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Muslim students balance Ramadan, school

Muslim students balance Ramadan, school

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan occurs during a critical time for students taking summer courses. Muslim students experience reduced energy from fasting, in addition to conflicting time commitments between school, work and religion. Rimsha Khan, a speech pathology graduate student, fasted since she was old enough to handle the...

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Qurans found in SU bathroom

Qurans found in SU bathroom

A group of Student Government senators found copies of the Quran inside the toilets in the bathrooms adjacent to the Galaxy Rooms. The Quran is the holy text in Islam, and it is considered sacred by Muslims around the world. Jonathan Schuler, the head of the SG legislative affairs committee,...

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Houses of the Holy: Islam

Houses of the Holy: Islam

Correction: In a previous version of this story, Yaseen Ahmad’s name was misspelled. The Mercury regrets this error. Student rediscovers bond with Islam after losing connection to mosque in middle school Editor’s note: This is the second part of a five-part series on places of worship that members of the...

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What it’s like to be Muslim in America

What it’s like to be Muslim in America

Nour Sharaf was on Facebook when she saw a link about the shooting in Garland. Immediately, her heart filled with dread. On May 3, two gunmen opened fire outside an art exhibit held at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland that displayed cartoon depictions of the Prophet Muhammad. Participants had...

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Muslims must stand for peace

Islam preaches tolerance, peace and understanding, and the voices that stand for these principles must be louder because there is simply too much misinformation regarding the religion. It was tragic to hear about the three Syrian-American Muslim lives lost at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In my opinion, that was a...

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