About

Originating with a small group of Muslim students who wished to come together in the name of Islam and in the spirit of Muslim brotherhood, the Muslim Student Association at the University of Virginia expanded in order to encompass all aspects of Muslim life specific to the academic campus.

The goals of the MSA are thus:

1. To promote a diverse and unified community reflecting the various backgrounds and experiences of Muslim students.
2. To strive to become model Muslims in order to promote and serve Islam in both the University and Charlottesville communities.
3. To give the Muslim students at UVA a voice in University affairs.
4. To teach and learn Islam through educational, social and religious activities.
5. To be an active and vocal presence in the struggle for the weak and oppressed in the local and global arenas

Officers:

Samia Sekkarie, President

Salam to all! My name is Samia Sekkarie and I’m very excited to be MSA president for the 2012-2013 school year inshAllah. My hope is to make MSA as much a source of support and community for you as it has been for me my past three years at UVA. Outside of MSA, I am a fourth year double majoring in Economics and Middle Eastern Studies with a particular interest in Islamic Finance and micro-economic development in the Middle East. InshAllah I hope to merge the two into a career in the future. I consume exorbitant amounts of ice-cream (Sweet Frogg!) and alhamdulillah am able to balance that with my running addiction. If you ever have any comments, questions, or concerns (school, MSA, or anything else) please let me know! I really look forward to meeting and seeing you all at our events inshAllah!

Saad Hussain, Vice President

Salaam Everyone
My name is Saad Hussain and I am a third year in the college of Arts and Science. I’m currently studying Biology and Economics. I’m really excited about the upcoming school year, we’ll have a lot of fun InshAllah. If you have any questions (especially first years) or need help with classes, which major to take, or just life in general, feel free to contact me!

Farhan Qureshi, Treasurer

Salaam! I’m Farhan, and I’m a second year student and the MSA Treasurer. As the Treasurer, I hope to help the MSA grow stronger and have a greater outreach in both the UVa and greater Charlottesville community. I also hope to cultivate strong relationships with many student organizations and funding organizations to help the MSA prosper. Inshallah, in my role as Treasurer, I can help the MSA achieve many things. Here’s a little bit about me and my interests: I’m an avid runner, and enjoy rock climbing and other outdoorsy things such as hiking. My other activities include volunteering at Sunday School, learning and cooking new recipes to try on the grill, and launching my fledgling rap career under the moniker Young Mullah. I didn’t choose the thug life. The thug life chose me.

Zaahir Imam, Secretary

The MSA Secretary for the 2012-2013 year, Zaahir Imam, is known for his many skills, his good looks, and his affability. Born in Tampa, Florida, Zaahir and his five siblings grew up moving place to place until he reached a small city in southwest Virginia. In Roanoke, he attended a small school and was heavily involved in varsity sports and student council. Now, Zaahir has grown into a smart, tenacious second year majoring in Cognitive Science. He enjoys movies, is an acclaimed epicurean, and loves short walks on the beach. His mastery of internal skills of time management and proactivity has enabled his interpersonal skills to make him a great council member.

Sarah Ashraf, Social Chair

Salaam Guys! My name is Sarah Ashraf and I am a third year and former transfer student from Northern Virginia. I am majoring in Economics and minoring in South Asian Studies. As social chair, it is my responsibility and goal to plan events that are educational, beneficial, and of course lots of fun! If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to contact me!

Mustafa Sungkar, Education Chair

As-salamu Alaikum, my name is Mustafa Sungkar and I’m your Education Chair for this school year. I’m a fourth year studying electrical engineering. Working with the Council, we will make this year an awesome year! If you have any questions, you can contact me at [email protected]
P.S. If you play chess, hit me up!

Saaleha Faruk, Education Chair

Assalaamu Alaikum,
My name is Saaleha Faruk, and inshAllah I will be your girls’ education chair this year. I am a fourth year from Woodbridge, VA majoring in Commerce and concentrating in Finance and Accounting. I first became involved with an MSA in high school. When I came to college, the MSA was so instrumental in making my first year experience as awesome as it was. After my experience first year, I really wanted to become more involved in the MSA. Initially, I participated in halaqas, other events, and eventually became the education chair. I enjoy doing outdoorsy stuff, hanging out, reading, writing, drawing, swimming, cheesecake, and playing lax. I really want to incorporate some fun social stuff into the education events this year. Definitely let me know if there is anything you’re interested in having as an event! Contact me at 703-678-3108 or at [email protected]

Muntasir Rahman, Webmaster

Salaam! My name is Monty, and I’m a third year in the Commerce School as well as a Math major. If you have any questions about math or commerce or about the MSA, you can feel free to contact me at [email protected] As for my hobbies/interests: I’m a sports addict (you can find me at the gym for Thursday Night Basketball every week!) and follow the NFL, NBA, the English Premier League, and tennis. I’m also a video game enthusiast and enjoy playing FIFA, Madden, Halo, NBA2k, and all sorts of other games. Let me know if you’re up for a game or just want to chill!

Annie Tauqeer, Publicity Chair

Salam Everyone! My name is Annie Tauqeer, and I am a fourth year in the College studying Foreign Affairs. As publicity chair I am excited to work with the MSA and keep you guys informed about the details of our upcoming events ( Eid Celebrations, halaqas, Quran study, fastathon, journey to Mecca etc. ) Please visit our MSA facebook page where I will be providing information on dates, timings and locations for our events and meetings. Also, if you have any questions regarding the MSA and our activities please feel free to message me at our e-mail account: [email protected]

Sania Ahmad, Historian

My name is Sania Ahmad. I’m originally from northern Virginia, specifically Fairfax Station. I am currently a second year, and prospectively majoring in Biology. InshaAllah, I look forward to working with everyone in MSA to promote and serve the message of Islam!