Students of Many Religions Unite to Break Interfaith Fast for Peace

Amid the religious and cultural tensions that have held the spotlight recently, about 200 students united last night to participate in an Interfaith Fast for Peace and poetry reading in the Satow Room of Lerner Hall.

The Muslim Students Association, Columbia Episcopalians, Hindu Students Organization, United Students of Color Council, Student Organization of Latinos, and others all participated in the event.

As a national celebration, students observe Interfaith Fast for Peace every year to promote ties among people of different ethnicities and religions. Due to recent events such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit, the racist graffiti found in the International Affairs Building, and David Horowitz’s invitation to speak at Columbia, student leaders said the event came at a crucial moment for interfaith and multicultural understanding. Some students fasted the entire day together, beginning with breakfast and prayer on the Low Steps at 5 a.m.

“With all the diverse groups in the room today, it shows the solidarity and willingness to understand each other, which is an important step in creating unity at Columbia,” said Adil Ahmed, CC ’09, president of the Muslim Students Association.

Prayers representing multiple faiths and Bible-verse recital opened the event.

After dinner, three Muslim poets from different ethnic backgrounds treated to their poetry focusing on sociopolitical, religious, cultural, and racial identities. The poets included New York University graduate student Gaith Adhami, Poeta Guerrera, BC ’07, and Brother Dash, a poet in the nascent Islamic entertainment industry.

“I had been Muslim for about eight years when I learned more about the religion, and I grew stronger in the faith, and that’s where my creative spirit kind of took me to focus more on Islamic poetry,” Brother Dash said.

Dash’s sentiments captured the spirit of the evening. “The point of this event is to kind of get a community of an interfaith group in the room to gather together to realize the commonality we all face,” said Saffiyah Madraswala, BC ’09, who helped organize the event.

Kibkabé Araya can be reached at news@columbiaspectator.com.