Goshen College’s Muslim Student Association and Commuter Student Association hosted a celebration of Eid al-Fitr on Monday. Eid al-Fitr is a three-day celebration at the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting for the Islamic faith. The celebration was hosted in the Commuter Student Lounge, with bingo, henna and food, including some traditional Eid al-Fitr dishes.

Three of the people involved in planning were Mona Galeb, a senior nursing major; Elle Albahal, a junior biochemistry major; and Ashwaq Aldhuraibi, a senior psychology major — all MSA leaders, with Albahal and Galeb also being CSA leaders. 

On why they decided to host this event, Albahal said, “We know that there’s students on campus that are Muslim and that don’t have family here, so having these events can help them come into the community and just have a sense of belonging.”

Aldhuraibi also said there was an educational aspect to the event. Galeb said that their goal was to bring general awareness to Eid al-Fitr and bring the community together, especially with so few Muslims at Goshen College.

Galeb said that the celebration looks slightly different from country to country, but the focus of Eid al-Fitr is on giving and spending time with family. 

Andrea Davila, a first-year nursing major and rising CSA leader, attended and helped plan the event. “This event felt important to [MSA], and we wanted to get to know more about their culture and I think it’s really beautiful we got to do this and that people came.” 

Another attendee was Citlali Hernandez, a senior biochemistry major. Hernandez said she attended because she was formerly a part of CSA and is friends with some of the leaders who planned the event. She said that, through the friendships she has formed at GC, she has learned about Ramadan and what it means to be Muslim.

Hernandez said that, currently, it seems like people are keeping more to themselves, inside their own “bubble.” She said, “[With these events,] it’s not like you’re throwing someone into a different culture all together, but it’s more an easy way into a different perspective, and I feel like it’s more comfortable for others to join and enjoy,” 

“Leaders love when people come to their events, even if it’s just to eat food, but we love it more when people want to get involved,” Hernandez said. 

As a final thought, Albahal said that they’re looking for more people to join MSA leadership. While leaders do not need to be Muslim. “You have to care about the message you’re trying to spread,” Albahal said.

“We try to make it very inclusive.”

With reporting by Griffin Eash.