What's Gamma Gamma Chi got to do with Muslim women?
via alt.muslim
University students tend to segregate into various social groups soon upon arrival, and one would be hard pressed to think of of two groups farther apart on the social spectrum than Muslims and members of the Greek (fraternity & sorority) system.
Some in the two groups have for years cast curious eyes at each other, with some Muslims seeing a benefit in a close-knit support group, and some Greeks seeing Muslims as a way to diversify their houses and clean up their hard-partying reputation.
While Muslims have joined traditional fraternities and sororities for years, a group of Muslim women have taken the step of creating Gamma Gamma Chi - the first Islamic sorority in the US. "As a Muslim who dresses modestly and does not drink, I wouldn't want to set myself apart from the people I was pledging with," explained 34-year old Imani Abdul-Haqq, a business administration major at Guilford College in Greensboro who started the sorority. "I want to feel the unity."
Open to both Muslims and non-Muslims who are ready to reconcile the benefits of sorority life while keeping with Islamic law, the sorority hopes to have chapters across the country within the next ten years. Members will have to maintain a minimum GPA, commit themselves to living a non-traditional Greek life (i.e. no hazing, partying, etc.), and commit to the sorority motto ("Striving for the pleasure of Allah through sisterhood, scholarship, leadership and community service") during their membership. The sorority comes complete with secret handshake and a line of Greek accessories in official green-and-purple color schemes.
University students tend to segregate into various social groups soon upon arrival, and one would be hard pressed to think of of two groups farther apart on the social spectrum than Muslims and members of the Greek (fraternity & sorority) system.
Some in the two groups have for years cast curious eyes at each other, with some Muslims seeing a benefit in a close-knit support group, and some Greeks seeing Muslims as a way to diversify their houses and clean up their hard-partying reputation.
While Muslims have joined traditional fraternities and sororities for years, a group of Muslim women have taken the step of creating Gamma Gamma Chi - the first Islamic sorority in the US. "As a Muslim who dresses modestly and does not drink, I wouldn't want to set myself apart from the people I was pledging with," explained 34-year old Imani Abdul-Haqq, a business administration major at Guilford College in Greensboro who started the sorority. "I want to feel the unity."
Open to both Muslims and non-Muslims who are ready to reconcile the benefits of sorority life while keeping with Islamic law, the sorority hopes to have chapters across the country within the next ten years. Members will have to maintain a minimum GPA, commit themselves to living a non-traditional Greek life (i.e. no hazing, partying, etc.), and commit to the sorority motto ("Striving for the pleasure of Allah through sisterhood, scholarship, leadership and community service") during their membership. The sorority comes complete with secret handshake and a line of Greek accessories in official green-and-purple color schemes.
posted by Muslims-R-Us at 10:34 AM
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