The Muslim group, the Orthodox Assembly group, Protestant Assembly group are three religious groups becoming more active across campus through increased student involvement.
The Muslim group and Christian groups abide by different religions and beliefs. However, they share a common ground in their plans, purpose, and execution. The Muslim group appeals to the Muslims on campus, establish a sense of strong community among themselves, and implement charity events helping the needy across Cairo. Similarly, the Christian groups aim at appealing to the Christians and building relationships with them, organizing events and camps, and regularly holding prayer and worship times.
Each group has meetings and events throughout the semester. Although the groups began on campus, they also operate beyond AUC.
“I enjoy going on different trips to poor areas and helping out the needy through simple love and care. During Ramadan, we had many programs planned, including passing Iftar meals to poor families and donating clothes to orphanages,” said Mahninor Sabry, a member of the Muslim group.
In the past, the Protestant Assembly held meetings twice a week for Christian students who were interested in spending time in a religious atmosphere, while connecting and interacting with fellow Christians on campus.
“The meetings consist of praise and worship, open discussion on various religious topics from the Bible, and campus prayer,” said Erin Azama, leader of the Protestant Assembly’s campus prayer.
Feeling the need to enlarge their scope and bring forth new initiatives, the group added a third prayer time to their schedule this semester. They are hoping to reach out and encompass the unbelievers in the community, through prayer and action.
“We are not just a group of overexcited students or another fanatic religious movement that simply wants to impose its religion and beliefs on others, we just want to reveal the truths of our religion,” said Azama.
The Orthodox Assembly group consists of about 40 members and continues to grow as more freshmen join each semester.
To facilitate group bonding, the groups also travel to camps and retreats outside of Cairo where they continue their religious teachings, combined with games, sports and leisure time.
Karen Samir, a devoted member of the Orthodox assembly group had much to say about why she felt the group was necessary at AUC.
“I love it that I can have a community of believers that I can hang out with during my university years. We are constantly encouraging and building each other up in the midst of AUC chaos,” said Samir, a mass communication sophomore.
The religious groups are invoking the power of prayer and spiritual learning while helping AUCians create a heightened sense of community, regardless of religious preference.
-Reporting by Lucy Shafik
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March 4th, 2010 at 1:57 am
Very disappointing article. The theme is very sectarian, showing AUC as a religiously-divided campus. No mention to the majority non-religious AUCians and no deep insight into the connections and communications among these claimed groups.
More seriously, the article doesn’t even bring the more important fact that calling for religious practice is ‘prohibited’ on campus according to the university’s secular constitution. Basic services like electricity and air conditioning, even fans, are denied since 2008 to all prayer areas. Students with disabilities do not have the privilege to pray since all prayer areas are located on rooftops only, permission to open prayer spaces on ground floor for students with disabilities were denied over and over because there was ‘not enough room’ in the 250 acre-sized campus.
Caravan has been on a decline in its quality in the past 4 years… so much effort is needed to go up again and become a professional, reliable and credible newspaper.