CIE hosts Arab American Taste of Culture

Eliana Buono / THE GATEPOST

By Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez Arts & Features Editor The Muslim Student Association (MSA) hosted the Arab American Heritage Taste of Culture in the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) on April 8. The MSA gave an introduction. Abdallah Mohamed, a freshman and secretary of MSA, gave a presentation on Egyptian culture and food. Taimoor Khan, a junior and president of MSA, discussed misconceptions that people might have about Arab people and Muslims. These two terms are not interchangeable, he said. Islam is a religion practiced by almost 2 billion people worldwide, while Arabs are an ethnic group which make up about 400 million people primarily located in the Middle East and North Africa, he said. “Only 20% of Muslims worldwide are Arab, meaning that 80% of the remaining Muslims are non-Arab, and come from non-Arab countries such as Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Nigeria, among many other countries,” Khan said. Arabs are not universally Muslim - there are many Arabs who are Christian and who practice Judaism, he said. “Countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Palestine host vibrant communities of Arab Christians,” Khan said. Arab cultures have a diverse range of traditions, languages, and practices that vary across different regions and countries, he said. After the discussions, the food was served. At first the tables were spread out across the room but the attendees decided to move them together, forming a long table. Khan said the MSA worked with the CIE to host the event for Arab American Heritage Month. “I think by having this event, we’re showing that there’s a diverse group of people within the Arab community, so I’m hoping that this will show that to people,” Khan said. He said he’s happy they were able to work with the CIE, and that they were very supportive. Mohamed said food is an important part of Arab people’s culture. “I think it’s an accurate representation of what Arab people expressed themselves as,” Mohamed said. Sofia Mohamad, a sophomore, said the food was amazing. The way that they got to sit together, enjoy the food, and connect with each other was a good representation of Middle Eastern culture, she said. “It was delicious, great Middle Eastern cuisine,” Mohamad said. Marlee Griffin, a senior, said the food was delicious. She had never had Egyptian food before, so she wanted to try it out, she added. “I like the spices and the different combinations of veggies,” Griffin said. Ella Rose Utterback, a sophomore, said there was a good balance between speaking about the culture of the food and touching on deeper topics. “I think it provided just an overall good amount of information,” Utterback said. The food was very good, especially the dessert, she added. Ali Raza, an alum, said he liked how the speakers talked about the culture and the Egyptian food. He also thought the discussion on misconceptions about Arab people and Muslims was insightful, he said. “It was a good way to get in touch with other people who are also interested in the culture,” Raza said. He only wished that more people came.