One yarmulke, two Yankees hats and a bunch of hijabs and kufis -- traditional Muslim head coverings -- took a break from studying on Monday to talk about the purpose of existence.
Seated in front of a large green and white banner announcing Penn's Islam Awareness Week, Buffalo, N.Y.-based Islamic scholar Shaikh Ibrahim Memon kicked off events with a talk entitled, "Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad: Prophets with a Common Message."
"Remember the whole universe is created to serve human beings, and our purpose of existence is to serve God," he said to the predominantly Muslim crowd.
Islamic Awareness Week has been a tradition at Penn for more than a decade, but many leaders feel the hate crimes against Muslims and Arabs in the aftermath of Sept. 11 have brought the need for tolerance and understanding to a new level.
"The theme of this week is not a political one, it is a religious one," stressed Ben Herzig, spokesman for the Penn Muslim Students Association, which is sponsoring this week's events. "Our goal is to provide education about Islam as a religion."
In front of about 100 students and community members, Memon connected Christianity, Islam and Judaism to their respective prophets' common message: teach humanity to human beings and remind them of the purpose of their existence.
Memon, well-respected in the Muslim community as one of the foremost Islamic scholars in the northeast, is the head of the Darul-Uloom Institute of Higher Islamic Education in Buffalo.
Students from Penn, Drexel University, Temple University and local residents attended the event.
Audience members laughed when Memon said auto dealership instructions for new cars would be just as handy for humans.
"Where's our manual?" Memon asked rhetorically.
Throughout his talk, Memon adhered to the traditional Islamic view that Muhammad is the last prophet among equals, who each worked miracles are respected by Islam.
Discussion broke out after the talk when students brought up non-monotheistic religions, and Memon reiterated the need to embrace all three major religions.
Regarding religious tension, he said, "There are some people who are misusing religion. It was meant for peace and they are using it for the opposite purpose of destruction."
