College life opens the doors to many newfound experiences which, for many, includes pulling all-nighters cramming for exams and papers, and then partying away on the weekends. Joining a fraternity or sorority is also a big part of the college experience for many and today we even have South Asian fraternities and sororities like the Delta Phi Omega sorority, Delta Epsilon Psi fraternity, and Iota Nu Delta fraternity. However, due to the culture of Greek life being consumed with excessive drinking, wild parties and reckless behavior it’s not exactly a suitable society to join for actively practicing Muslims.
Practicing Muslims usually don’t drink alcohol or partake in premarital sexual relations. You can still have a crazy fun night with your friends without getting drunk, dancing on a table, and having a one-night stand, but when you’re in a sisterhood or brotherhood that doesn’t understand that mentality, it can get difficult. Enter the lovely sisters of Mu Delta Alpha!
Mu Delta Alpha is perhaps the only active Muslim sorority in the States. It’s also the first Muslim sorority to be established in Texas. Mu Delta Alpha was founded by Samira Maddox at the University of Texas in Dallas, and is built on the core values of professionalism, respect, and success.
Thanks to Hollywood, Greek life has turned into a parody of what it’s all about. The sisters of MDA break the stereotypes of sororities being a home for the ditzy divas and shallow Barbies you see in films like “Legally Blonde.” It’s true the Greeks know how to party and having a good time, but that’s not what every Greek organization or its members are about.
The ladies of MDA focus on conducting themselves with integrity, responsibility, accountability, and excellence. MDA is also known as Muslimahs for Change, a non-profit that promotes change in the professional world. Through their various events such as their annual Summer Leadership Retreat program, and the Annual Young Muslimah Summit, they try to make a difference while empowering women of all backgrounds.
In 2005, the Muslim sorority Gamma Gamma Chi was created in Virginia and Georgia. However, it is Mu Delta Alpha that has gained more popularity. MDA has already expanded in 2017 to a beta chapter at the University of Austin and a gamma chapter at the University of North Texas. MDA hopes to normalize the identities of Muslim women.
In conversation with The Daily Texan, Nisa Sheikh, the beta chapter’s financial officer said “the narrative right now is that Muslim women are oppressed and can’t pursue careers. When you have a professional Muslim sorority come up, it breaks that stereotype, and people have to reconsider what they believe.”
The ladies in teal, white, and peach even use their social media pages to actively change the view of Muslim women. The Dallas chapter tweets about powerful and influential Muslim women from all fields and times like English-Egyptian blogger Dina Tokio to Fatima Al-Fihri, the woman who founded the oldest, currently existing university.
day thirteen • Dina Tokio #portraitsofpersistence pic.twitter.com/7osLj1H5M0
— Mu Delta Alpha UT Dallas (@MDAUTDALLAS) March 14, 2018
Dina Tokio is an English-Egyptian Youtuber/blogger who started blogging her fashion interests, hijab tutorials, and makeup tips many years ago. Her main focus today is on modest fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. Some may even say Dina started the modest fashion movement in the West
— Mu Delta Alpha UT Dallas (@MDAUTDALLAS) March 14, 2018
Today, there are even Muslim fraternities, like Alpha Lambda Mu, named after the first three letters of the Arabic alphabet, Alif Laam Meem. It was founded at the University of Texas at Dallas in 2013 and today there are chapters at the University of California in San Diego, Cornell University and the University of Toledo.
Like their MDA sisters, this fraternity has also gained recognition for their volunteer work. ALM has been in the media for their charity work like aiding refugee families and supporting domestic violence survivors. They were even the subject of the documentary “Brotherhood: America’s Favorite Muslim Fraternity.” Looks like even the Muslim brothers are just as powerful in changing the view of Muslims in the States as their sister counterpart.
Did I mention we’re loving MDA’s teal color? Love that these girls are #KeepinItTeal
