OHIO – Ohio University’s Muslim Student Association hosted MSA Night to entertain as well as educate students and Athens residents alike about Islam and seek a common ground for different cultures.

“If they were bored they would up and leave directly,” Amira, the president of Muslim Student Association, said after noticing groups of people lingering by henna booths after the event was over, The Post reported.

“But they’re still here.”

The event started with Qur’an recitation followed by speeches from the OU faculty members, as well as Athens Mayor Steve Patterson.

Moreover, attendees were invited to share food representing different cultures, from warm pita bread and hummus to tabbouleh, and a Levantine salad.

A bedouin tent sat on the far left corner of the ballroom, draped in plush fabric and decorated with bolsters and platters of dried fruits and nuts.

“The tent is originally from Khalij countries, like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, also Yemen,” Safiya Ahmed, a doctoral student studying civil engineering, said.

“The idea is for people to just take pictures and chill and try the traditional coffee (and) dates.”

The rack of traditional clothing next to the tent gave an opportunity to visitors to try on the clothes and take pictures.

Amira, who is also a doctoral student studying teacher education, said one of MSA’s main goals for the event was to engage the audience in social media to maximize outreach.

“Everybody is using social media to reach out to their friends and communities,” Amira said.

“So, when other people see your account and they see a glimpse or a photo (of the event), they’ll be curious and it will drive them to ask questions.”