“That’s a problem we have to make do with,” Razzaq said about her makeshift prayer locations.

“Whether we’re in the library or the hall, we pray, and sometimes it’s uncomfortable.”

Razzaq, president of the Muslim Student Association, is one of an estimated 6,000 Muslims in the Lansing area, said MSA faculty adviser Hassan Khalil. With members from across the world, Lansing’s Muslim community is diverse.

“I’ve had the opportunity to go to communities all over Michigan, and from my perspective, East Lansing is one of the most diverse communities,” said Tammam Alwan, an interdisciplinary humanities junior and former MSA president.

MSU helps foster the growth of the area’s Muslim community.

“Being so close to a college campus has helped the Islamic Center of East Lansing expose itself to the community and make a difference in and around MSU,” psychology junior and MSA spokesman Bashir Hakim said.

“The East Lansing community has helped to ease the transition for many Muslim students coming to MSU, and this connection is very important.”

MSA members said it is the only student group dedicated to the representation of Muslims on campus. The group sponsors a number of activities each year, including a Fast-A-Thon, a daylong fast during the Islamic observance of Ramadan.

Last year, it attracted about 130 participants, including some non-Muslims.

“One of our main goals is to raise awareness,” Razzaq said.

“We really do feel that we’re misunderstood and sometimes underrepresented.

If you want to change something, you have to do it yourself. Who better to tell you anything than the people themselves?”

But East Lansing’s open attitude toward Muslims isn’t necessarily shared by other communities.

Islamophobia, or the fear of Muslim culture and Islamic citizens, has increased since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Razzaq said many misunderstandings about Muslim culture result from images from the Middle East. Images of female oppression or violence are not a result of Islam, she said.

Instead it’s the result of political and cultural differences.

Regardless of why Islamophobia occurs, Muslims in the community remain dedicated to raising awareness about their culture.

“Islamophobia today is a very big issue, and it is one which the MSA is taking very seriously,” Hakim said.

“A major battle for the MSA this year is combating Islamophobia by setting up workshops and lectures to help people better understand the true nature of Islam.”