Muslim Student Association

Since its founding in 1846, Grinnell College has been known for not only embracing but encouraging diversity among its student body. This culture of inclusivity and respect has enabled the College to bring students of many religions, nationalities, ethnicities, and backgrounds together into one diverse and welcoming community.

An important part of such a community is creating spaces for students who share similar backgrounds to come together to share experiences and provide support for one another.

As the Muslim population at Grinnell College continued to increase over the years, students and the staff at the Center for Religion, Spirituality, and Social Justice (CRSSJ) felt it was important to establish a Muslim Student Association (MSA) to allow students to build community and participate in religious practice together.  

“We have a vibrant group of Muslims on campus,” says Nazma Noray ’23, a psychology major from Shoreline, Washington, and current president of the MSA. “We want our members to feel welcome, be proud of their religion and culture, be empowered to use their voice, and see that they are not alone here.”

In addition to providing Muslim students an opportunity to build connections and relationships with other Muslim students at Grinnell, MSA members strive to raise awareness and share their religion and culture with the entire campus community.

“I first joined the MSA because it was important to me to start bringing together Muslim students to find resources for us to use,” says Noray. “I think it’s important to get involved and to participate in campus life. I would tell new students to go to as many events as possible — Grinnell has so many interesting groups, programs, talks, and events so you can always meet new people and learn new things by being involved.”