Rogers State University will continue its semester of promoting diversity with an afternoon of activities intended to raise awareness about Islamic religion and culture.
On Monday, Feb. 1, RSU will host a hijab draping demonstration and a free photo shoot with The Peace Project, an outreach of The Islamic Society of Tulsa, in the Centennial Center Ballroom at 11:30 a.m., followed by a panel to discuss Islamophobia at 1:30 p.m. The events will coincide with World Hijab Day, a worldwide event intended to foster religious understanding by inviting women to experience the hijab for one day.
The panel will feature four local speakers: Safa El-soueissi, a psychology student at Northeastern State University and Muslim woman who chooses to wear a hijab; Sheeba Atiqi, founder of The Peace Project and a Muslim woman who chooses not to wear a hijab; Aliye Shimi, the Director of Outreach at the Islamic Society of Tulsa; Ahmed Ashraf, a student at the University of Tulsa; and Sarah Thornhill, an Associate Pastor at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa. The panel is free and open to the public.
The activities were recommended by the RSU Diversity Committee as part of a semester-long examination of issues related to race, gender, sexual orientation and religion. RSU Director of Student Development Katy Launius says the activities are part of the university’s broader goals to raise awareness about diversity.
“We want our students not only to learn about diverse cultures, we want them to have the opportunity to interact with members of the community who call these cultures their own,” Launius said. “It’s important to realize that cultures and traditions we may not personally identify with are still a vibrant part of the greater community we all call home.”
For more information, contact Launius at 918-343-7707 or at [email protected].