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St. Olaf College to explore Islamic diversity during conference

By Le Ann Finger '85 and Clare Kennedy '07
April 30, 2005

St. Olaf College will host an Islamic conference, "Diversity in Islam and the Development of an Islamic Identity in the United States," co-sponsored by the St. Olaf Muslim Student Association and the Muslim students at Carleton College. The event will be held on Saturday, April 30, in the Black and Gold Ballroom of Buntrock Commons at 11:30 a.m.

The event includes two main speakers, three workshops, a student panel discussion and a bazaar with Islamic goods. Tickets for the public are available at the door for $6.

"Our goal is to show how we manage to follow our faith in a whole different environment," says Mustafa Dualeh, junior from Rochester, Minn. and organizer of the conference. "We also hope to show the diversity within Islam, that it isn't just for Arabs, it's a universal faith."

In addition to stressing the cultural multiplicity of Islam, the conference will address Islamic identity within communities that are by traditionally non-Islamic and common misconceptions. "There isn't a lot of knowledge about Islam in general," added Dualeh. "We feel obligated to do this because there are ten Islamic students at St. Olaf, so we see it as a duty of ours to share our faith and culture."

Dualeh, an asylee from Somalia who grew up on the Ivory Coast believes while living as a minority can sometimes be uncomfortable, it as a blessing in disguise. "It's a challenge, in a good way, because it forces us to learn more about our faith so if we are asked questions about our religion we need to have good answers."

One of the main presenters, Ustadh Shariif is a returning speaker and graduate of Michigan State University school of Engineering and currently works as an engineer at IBM in Rochester, Minn. Shariif is the Director of Islamic Youth for the area and is involved in a lot of community outreach, planning activities and after school programs for Islamic kids.

Imam Senad Agic from the Muslim Cultural Center in Northbrook, Ill. Is also scheduled to speak. He is the Mufti of Chicago, Grand Mufti for Bosnians in America, and the Imam of the Northbrook Mosque of Chicago and Chairman of the Bosnian Relief Committee of Chicago, where a large population of Bosnian refugees are located. Agic is active in refugee relief of all kinds, helping them to relocate to new homes in the U.S., collecting donations and supplies for the Muslims in the former Yugoslavia who are in need, and in supporting the jihad movement in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Contact Le Ann Finger at 507-786-3416 or finger@stolaf.edu.