Oakland University’s first-ever Arabic Week kicked off on Monday, March 27 and will run through Friday, March 31.

Events over the course of the week, hosted by the Arabic Language Club, Saudi Students Organization and the Muslim Student Association, are offering educational opportunities for students and faculty of all races and ethnicities to explore Arabic culture.

On Monday, people were invited to sample halal foods from all over the Middle East in the Oakland Center’s Fireside Lounge while learning about the cultures of Arabic countries. On Tuesday, a lecture put on by the Arab American National Museum discussed the many contributions of people from Arabic countries to the field of mathematics, including geometry and algebra. At every event, halal food is available, due to recent changes made by Chartwells.

Since this is the first time Arabic Week is being held at Oakland University, preparation was no easy task. Syed Hussain, a senior electrical engineering major, and Yomna Hassaballa, a senior psychology major, were instrumental in spearheading the project.

Hussain, who is the program director of the Muslim Student Association, was inspired to bring Arabic Week to Oakland when he saw a similar event as a student at Macomb Community College. He recruited the two other student organizations to help bring his vision to life.

Although Hussain is not Arabic (he is Bengali), he believes it’s important to spread knowledge about the Arabic world and educate others about the culture, especially with the constant political and religious turmoil in the Middle East that is showcased in the media. Hussain encouraged people of all religions and races to attend the events.

“Nowadays, you only see the war part of it, how people are killing each other,” Hussain said. “But you don’t see how Christians and Muslims and Jews are coexisting with one another, protecting each other and living among each other.”

The main goal of Arabic Week is that attendees will walk away with a more profound understanding of Arabic culture.

“I hope the students will learn valuable information and gain more knowledge about the Arab world, culture and history,” Hassaballa said.

Wednesday, March 29 there will be a lecture on Arabic history and religion in Fireside Lounge. On Thursday, March 30, Sheikh Ishtiaq, who studied for five years in Syria, will discuss relations between Christians, Jews and Muslims in the Middle East. Both events begin at noon in Fireside Lounge.

The final event of Arabic Week, which will take place on Friday, March 31 in Rooms 128 and 129 in the Oakland Center will focus exclusively on understanding Muslim prayer. Hussain said he was more than willing to explain the intricacies of Muslim prayer to anyone who is interested. This event will last from noon to 3 p.m., and people are welcome to join at any time.

“The main focus of this whole event is to show the rich history and culture of the Arab world and have people appreciate it and fall in love with it,” Hussain said.