Looking Back & Looking Forward: Reflections from Ammar Hussain (SFS/MSB ‘24)
By Maya Mohosin (C ’27)
Ammar Hussain (SFS/MSB ‘24) and Imam Yahya Hendi holding the Proclamation of Yarrow Mamout Masjid by Mayor of D.C., Muriel Bowser.
Getting involved with Muslim Life at Georgetown was not something Ammar Hussain had to think about. Growing up, he was very involved in the life of his local masjid, and was even the president of his high school’s Muslim Student Association. Georgetown’s vibrant, interconnected Muslim community was one of the main reasons Hussain decided to uproot himself from life in Chicago and move to Washington, D.C. While his first year of study was virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he knew that when he arrived on campus his Sophomore year, he would jump into the spiritual growth and community he had been longing for.
Among the many ways Ammar got involved with Muslim Life was through his work as a Muslim Life Fellow. Here, Ammar had the unique opportunity to give back to the Muslim community and connect to his faith background. Through events like the weekly Jum’ah prayers, he made connections that he hopes will last a lifetime. Some of his fondest memories, over the years, were during Ramadan when hundreds of students, faculty, and Georgetown community members would come together in celebration of the special month. It was an uplifting and spiritually rewarding experience for Ammar, made even more special by the gratitude shown to him and the other student workers for their work.
Ammar and Manahal Fazal (SFS ‘24) at dinner with President John DeGioia
One moment that sticks with Ammar comes from Ramadan his junior year. During the last 10 days of Ramadan, it’s common for Muslims to stay up all night as a community in worship. On one particular night, after struggling to find a time to meet all week with the Fellows to finalize logistics for the Eid celebration, all of the Fellows realized they and Imam Yahya Hendi, the director for Muslim Life, were all in the Masjid anyway. As such, they held an impromptu meeting at 3 a.m. where they managed to work out the details for Eid!
Beyond working on the go, being a Muslim Life Fellow taught Ammar about the importance of mutual understanding. He has been able to deepen his own understanding of his faith through the many speaker events and open dialogues between Muslims at the Masjid. The Office of Campus Ministry at Georgetown, of which Muslim Life is a part, emphasizes the importance of interfaith dialogue and interreligious understanding. Between Chaplains’ Tea, the Fast-a-thon Iftar, and the Interfaith Iftar, he believed the Masjid roots itself in campus life and reflects how diverse Georgetown’s campus continues to be.
Group of Muslim Student Association seniors together on Eid
After graduation this spring, Ammar will work as a Business Analyst for McKinsey & Company. He hopes to bring the experiences and lessons he learned from working with diverse groups of people as a Muslim Life Fellow to his career. He says, “Yes, I have spent my time on campus in service of the Muslim community, but the Muslim community has given me so much more than I could ever give it.” His time as a Muslim Life Fellow was a cherished part of his college experience, and he knows that the community will continue to prosper after he leaves. He hopes that Campus Ministry continues to create the communities and safe spaces for everyone on campus, no matter how devout or active they are. Muslim Life quickly became Ammar’s home on the hilltop, and he hopes that it can be a home and a safe space for anyone else who is looking for one.
Photos courtesy of Ammar Hussain, (SFS/MSB ‘24).
Maya Mohosin (C ’27) is a communications assistant for Campus Ministry.