News

MSA Statement regarding terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001:

 The Muslim Students Association at WPI would foremost like to offer our condolences to all the victims and their loved ones after the tragedy on September 11, 2001. We, like the rest of the world, were appalled and shocked to see the events unfold right in front of our eyes.   In light of the faltering hearsay regarding the origin of the perpetrators, please know that Muslims, by the virtue of their faith, do not participate in such an atrocious activity.

As America comes to terms with what has happened, there has been a great backlash against many Arab-Americans and Muslims living in the United States.  Many hateful incidents have  been reported. Thus, we urge everyone not to discriminate and remember that the tragic actions of a few people, do not represent an entire faith.

We have created a fact sheet about Islam to help everyone get a true understanding of what our faith is really about. We hope you will find these informative and will email at msa@wpi.edu  if you have any further questions.

Our prayers are with you, the victims, the families, and the rescue workers.

Sincerely,

Muslim Students' Association

Facts about Islam

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* Islam is derived from a root word meaning "PEACE";

Asalam-a-laikum (the Islamic greeting) means "May PEACE be upon you"

* Islam shares the same foundation as Judaism and Christianity, believing in the same Prophets and the same God.

* Jihad literally means "to struggle", NOT "holy war." It emphasizes the inner struggle we all fight with to control our egos.

* Islam does not condone suicide.

* Islam does NOT believe in and does NOT condone terrorism. The Holy Quran states "No wrong-doing can be substituted by someone else's wrong-doing."

* Islam does not justify any criminal actions taken towards innocent civilians. Thus, these kinds of actions should NOT be attributed to the religion of Islam.

* The Holy Quran ordains that if any one kills a person, it is as if he has killed the whole people; and if anyone has saved a life, it is as if he has saved the life of the whole people.

Current Facts

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* Muslims are a part of the American society and also have been affected by this tragedy; several hundred Muslims are still missing in this vicious attack, including Muslim firemen.

* Muslim countries around the world have mourned, grieved, and held moments of silence due to this tragedy.

* Many political leaders (including the President and the former President George Bush) have distinguished between terrorism and true Islam and have spoken against discrimination towards Arab Americans and Muslims.

* Regardless of the misconceptions the media has often portrayed about Islam, it is still one of the fastest growing religions in USA and the world, providing comfort and guidance t more than 1 billion people.

These are just some of the main facts about Islam. If you have further questions, email msa@wpi.edu.

 -MSA

In light of recent events and to spread Islamic awareness throughout campus, the MSA at WPI has done the following:

    * Participated in WPI candlelight vigil with a Muslim Prayer (September 14, 2001)

    * Prepared MSA statement and Islamic fact sheet to be passed out to students at an Islamic stall in the  Campus Center (September 24 & 25, 2001)

    * Written an article for Tech News by MSA President (September 25, 2001)

    * Met with International Students' Council to plan a student panel

For more information about Islam, please go to our Links section.