Berkeley

Muslim Berkeley Students Present Islam Lecture Series

Published

9 years ago

March 24, 2018

Muslim scholar Ahmad Rashid Salim speaks to a full classroom of students who gave up their lunch hour to learn about the different sects within Islam on Tuesday, March 19 at Berkeley City College. Photo by Sarah Carpenter.

During “college hour” at Berkeley City College (BCC), no classes are held—it’s reserved to function like a lunch hour. But Room 34 was packed with students ready to learn about Islam during college hour on March 19.

The last of three lectures in a series from Muslim scholar Ahmad Rashid Salim, invited by BCC’s Muslim Student Association (MSA), focused on the differences of opinion amongst sects within Islam—like Shi’a, Sunni, and more.

“This lecture series was both necessary for us as a community, and the non-Muslim students,” Fatemeh Saremi, treasurer of the MSA, said.

The MSA is a club prolific in event planning. Many of their events, like the ‘hijab experiment’ they did last semester, are intended to connect with non-Muslim students. The hijab experiment provided the opportunity for non-Muslim students to try on the headwear, and get a glimpse of what it’s like to see and be seen through it.

Last semester, they presented a Q&A panel of Muslim students, and were asked questions that they weren’t prepared to answer. Saremi said they were asked about Sharia Law, and specific actions allegedly committed in the name of Islam.

“I saw a curiosity in people about what Islam stands for and what a Muslim is like,” Saremi said. So the MSA invited Salim to teach an introduction to Islam, discussing controversial topics like gender roles in Islam, and differences amongst sects within the religion.

“These difference are often presented as unsurmountable,” Salim said. “But we can always build bridges.”

Salim is the spiritual services leader at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California in Oakland. He’s from Kabul, Afghanistan. His family came to America when he was 10 to escape the civil war. He grew up in the Bay Area, and is currently earning a PhD at UC Berkeley studying Persian mystical literature and Islamic studies.

“The problem isn’t that difference of opinion exists within Islam. That’s not a problem in itself,” he said. “The problem is that we assume differences of opinion to be toxic, to be calls for violence—and that has not religious, but political … inspiration behind it.”

Allan-Michael Adiaheno is studying physics at BCC. He’s an atheist from central Africa, and he attended the lecture series because he wanted to learn more about Islam. He said he doesn’t want to have preconceived notions about any religion. “There’s no such thing as useless information,” he said.

“People, now more than ever, should be motivated to be trailblazers, at the forefront of bringing Muslims together,” Salim said. Muslims, he said, should also be building bridges with non-Muslims.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Related Topics:Berkeley Education Islam Muslim sgtudents

Up Next

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Chapter Holds Free Health and Wellness Fair

Don't Miss

‘Trash Tour’ of Oakland Shows Officials That Not All Neighborhoods Are Treated Equally

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Black Repertory Group Needs Volunteers to Help Shape the Next Generation of Artists and Leaders

Legendary performers such as Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover worked with and were inspired by BRG’s founders. More recently, Grammy award-winning artist Kehlani attended the Black Repertory Group Summer Day Camp for several years.

Published

3 months ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Courtesy image.

By Sean Vaughn Scott, Special to The Post

For more than 60 years, the Black Repertory Group (BRG) has changed lives through the arts.

Founded in 1964 by educators and visionaries Birel L. Vaughn and Nora Vaughn, BRG has become one of America’s oldest continuously operating Black theater institutions. For generations, it has preserved culture, developed talent, and provided opportunities for young people to discover their voices and their potential.

The results speak for themselves.

Long before international recognition, Kehlani performed on the BRG stage. During a summer day camp production of “Princess and da Frog,” she portrayed Ray, the lovable firefly whose light guided others through the darkness. Her journey is proof that today’s camper may become tomorrow’s artist, entrepreneur, educator, or leader.

Located at 3201 Adeline St. in Berkeley, BRG continues that mission through its Youth Summer Day Camp of the Arts.

BRG is currently accepting applications and maintains an open enrollment program. Students may enroll throughout the summer as space permits and immediately become part of the BRG family.

We are also proud to be a multicultural opportunity program, welcoming children and families from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities. Through theater, music, dance, public speaking, visual arts, technical theater, and leadership development, students gain confidence, discipline, creativity, and lifelong skills.

As our programs grow, so does our need for volunteers.

We are seeking community members to assist with youth mentoring, registration, costumes, set construction, painting, props, ushering, photography, social media, marketing, technical theater, and fundraising activities. Whether you volunteer for a few hours or throughout the season, your support directly impacts the lives of young people.

BRG also partners with churches, civic organizations, alumni associations, fraternities, sororities, and community groups through theater party fundraisers, group sales, and buy-out performances. These partnerships have helped organizations raise funds while supporting arts and cultural programming.

The theater also serves as the home of the Berkeley NAACP Chapter, which meets every second Saturday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m.

For more than six decades, the Black Repertory Group has remained committed to one belief: every child deserves an opportunity to shine.

The next great artist may already be among us.

The next Kehlani may already be walking through our doors.

We invite you to volunteer, enroll, participate, and become part of the legacy.

For more information please go to www.blackrepertorygroup.com, call (510) 652-2120, or email info@blackrepertorygroup.com

Sean Vaughn Scott is the director of the Black Repertory Group.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

UC Berkeley Named Top Public University in the U.S. and No. 7 in the World by ‘U.S. News’

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014. “A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

Published

3 months ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Keegan Houser/UC Berkeley.

The 2026 Best Global Universities rankings evaluated 2,250 research institutions from more than 100 countries

By Lila Thulin

U.S. News & World Report has ranked UC Berkeley No. 7 in its 2026 list of the best global universities, which assesses more than 2,250 research institutions worldwide.

Berkeley also claimed the honor of top public university in the U.S.

Released on Monday, the list evaluates universities from more than 100 countries on 13 metrics such as global and research reputation (as reported by academics and peers) and number of highly cited scholarly papers.

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014.

“A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

The rankings also assess a university’s strength in various subject areas; these assessments are separate from U.S. News’ 2026 Best Graduate Programs rankings released in April.

This year, Berkeley was named in the top three nationally in seven subject areas – environment/ecology, ecology, water resources, physics, computer science, chemistry, and engineering – and in the top five for a total of 17 subjects. Subject rankings are based heavily on scholarly publications and citations as well as reputation.

In September, U.S. News also released its 2026 Best Colleges list, in which Berkeley was also named the No. 1 public institution among American universities.

That honor joins other accolades judging campus to be the best public university in the country, such as those from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Arts and Culture

Farwest Region Deltas Celebrate Centennial With “September Breakfast” Honoring Vivian Osborne Marsh

The region was established in 1925 under the leadership of Vivian Osborne Marsh, who became its first Regional Director. Marsh was a pioneering scholar and civic leader, earning recognition as the first Black woman to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley.

Published

1 year ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Farwest Regional Director, Kimberly Usher, Mayor Barbara Lee, US Representative Lateefah Simon, and Farwest Regional Representative, Radiya Ajibade. Photo courtesy of Farwest Regional Photographer Vicki P. Love.

By Antoinette Porter

Hundreds of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and their guests gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union at the University of California, Berkeley, to mark the 100th anniversary of the sorority’s Farwest Region.

Marsh went on to serve as Delta Sigma Theta’s 7th National President, where she launched the sorority’s National Library Project to expand access to books in underserved Black communities in the South. During her presidency, the organization also became a prominent voice in the civil rights movement, lobbying Congress to pass anti-lynching legislation.

Bak in the Bay Area, Marsh devoted her career to advancing educational opportunities, mentoring young people, and strengthening community life. That commitment continues to shape the region, which supports initiatives in education, social justice, and economic development. Current projects include raising scholarship funds for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, voter education campaigns, and health and wellness programs.

A century after its founding, the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta remains active across California and other western states, carrying forward Marsh’s vision of service and advocacy.