Beautifying the Mosque: A Jewish-Muslim Partnership

"Do you love your creator? Love your fellow-beings first."-Prophet Muhammad

Over this year, I've had several revelations that have led me to conclude that if one has an outlook based on love, peace, and empathy, he or she can make this world a better place. It is for this reason, I have become more active when it comes to pro-peace initiatives. Fortunately I have had the opportunity to push forth this agenda as a member of the Middle Eastern Leadership Council's (MELC) executive board. This is a very young organization whose aim is to better serve the Middle Eastern community at the University of Virginia and in Charlottesville. It is sad that many of its members have given up hope on this organization and have become inactive. I have seen potential and opportunity in this organization from the outset.

Every Friday, I have organized MELC Fridays, which is a lounge on the Lawn in front of the Rotunda. In the setting of Middle Eastern music, students interested in the Middle East gather over dishes of hummus, dates, and tea to discuss everything from Middle Eastern politics to culture, society, and personal life. In my opinion this project has been a great success.

I sought the opportunity to tackle pertinent issues through MELC, such as Arab/Muslim-Jewish dialogue. My opinion has been that we students should always strive to set an example for the world. We should be idealist and progressive since we are in an academic setting. I remember specifically saying in a joint meeting between MELC and the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) something to the effect of:

"We shouldn't be thinking like the political idiots running our countries! We should base our relationship based on mutual respect. Hate will get us no where. Rather, if we work together to serve our respective constituents, we will learn more about each other and dispel any misconceptions."

During this MELC-JLC meeting I suggested a service project based on cleaning up the local Charlottesville mosque. Unfortunately the mosque here is in a very run-down condition. This was an ideal opportunity for us to work on a project that would serve the local community. Surprisingly, the JLC were the ones who really pushed for this project. I volunteered to manage this project.

After receiving an invitation form the mosque officials, I assessed the mosque's requirements and prepared of plan of action for us to execute as a part of the project. I was surprised to see how organized the JLC was in prepare its members and equipment for this event. On the day of the event, they were the first ones to be at the mosque. Even when it came to cleaning up the mosque, the were the most dedicated to the cause. I was impressed by the preparation, dedication, discipline, and work ethic of the JLC.

When discussing some issues with them, I discovered that the JLC has about 300 members at UVA. Apparently, Hillel International, which is an foundation that supports Jewish students worldwide provides them with services to be more effective on campuses across the world. After doing some research, I discovered that Hillel's mission statement is to "enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world." By providing them with the tools and means to become more efficient, Hillel is investing the Jewish generations of the future. Every university I have visited to date in the U.S. has its own building part of the university campus. I have come to revere the Jews for their discipline and organization.

Today, I finally saw my project materialize. After two hours of work on the mosque, we left it more beautiful and elegant than when we began. My father has always taught me to leave behind a place cleaner and more beautiful than when I go to it. We did every meticulous task, from raking the leaves to cleaning the gutters. I am grateful I had the opportunity to do good especially before Eid El Adha. Even though our task was merely cleaning, it was such an ecstatic joy to clean the a house of God. Muslim and Jew alike did their work with devotion. I believe it is at moments like these that we put our differences aside and submit ourselves as slaves to God.

After the clean-up, Alla (a friend of mine and the president of the Muslim Student Association) and I gave the JLC members a tour of the mosque. Its a small place, but we showed them the Qurans, the prayer lines, the Mihrab, and some Islamic artwork. Their curiosity was boundless and they asked us questions about how Muslims pray. It was such a gratifying experience sharing my religion with others. I believe that it is the duty of every Muslim to be an ambassador of his faith to others, even if there may be some friction between them.

At the end of the venture, both MELC and JLC thanked me for organizing this event. I refused any recognition because if it weren't for them, it wouldn't have been a fun experience and we wouldn't have gotten any work done. I have to say that this must have been one of the most gratifying experiences I have had at UVa.