The University of Toledo’s first Muslim sorority, a chapter of Muslimahs for Change, is now in its second year and second rush week for recruitment.
For women, joining a sorority can be sparked by the promise of sisterhood, yet for M4C member Saanie Naqbi of Lambertville, the sorority serves as a redemptive force for her younger self.
Ms. Naqbi, 19, said as a child she experienced bullying at an early age due to some people’s misplaced fear of Muslims and continued Islamophobia.
“It started after kindergarten. Being born right after 9/11, it was a hard time to grow up in,” she said.
Now as a sophomore studying biology pre-medicine, Ms. Naqbi said her interactions with peers have lightened.
“I would have never imagined that there would’ve been a Muslim sorority in 1,000 years. The fact that within our community we have the guts to kind of stand up for ourselves and be proud of who we are is really cool and important,” she said.
Treasurer Lora Sahmarani, of Toledo, said the sorority is what the university needed.
“I feel like Muslim representation in sororities and fraternities is very low, especially for females. There are so many girls like us who wish for an organization like this to bring us all together,” said Ms. Sahmarani, 18, a sophomore studying exercise science.
In December, M4C President Walaa Kanan of Toledo began conceptualizing the organization. Already familiar with the university’s Muslim fraternity Alpha Lambda Mu — founded in 2015 — Ms. Kanan and her executive board founded their own organization the following semester.
Ms. Kanan, 20, recalls the experience as a whirlwind of liberation and excitement.
“A lot happened at once. A lot of people were excited about it. We had a huge turnout for our first recruitment, way more than we ever thought,” she said.
In 2018, the sorority recruited 30 women and selected 10.
Ms. Kanan, who graduates next year, is looking forward to the sorority receiving its letters — signifying the organization's right of passage — and building a profound legacy.
“Something the Greek life coordinator told us was ‘your letters don’t leave you when you graduate. You die with those letters on your back,’ ” she said.
Sorority Secretary Marwa Hassan, 20 and a senior studying pharmacology, envisions a “great network of professional women.”
“I’d love to see us come back and help develop people younger than us both professionally and spiritually. With this new semester I hope we start building that network,” she said. Ms. Hassan, of Toledo.
The rush week runs Sept. 9 through 15. To qualify for a final interview, those interested must attend at least one of four informational sessions and one social event. Prospective members must submit an application and resume by Sept. 12. Selected members will be invited to a bid brunch.
First Published August 30, 2019, 8:01 p.m.
