Berkeley

Muslim Berkeley Students Present Islam Lecture Series

Published

7 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.

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Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Berkeley Celebrates 90th Anniversary

Dr. Earl C. Stuckey, Sr., who has served as Progressive Missionary’s pastor since September 1977, said the church also delights in the fact that it has hosted only five pastors in its 90-year history, including Pastors James E. Moore, H. A. Green, F. Douglas Farrell, and Edward Stovall, who served for 37 years.

Published

7 days ago

May 16, 2025

Oakland Post

Progressive Missionary Baptist Poster. Dr. Earl C. Stuckey, Sr., Pastor of Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Berkeley with his wife, Kay Frances Stuckey.

By Oakland Post Staff

The Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Berkeley is celebrating its 90th church anniversary on Sunday, May 18 at 10 a.m. at 3301 King Street in Berkeley.

The celebration will feature Pastor Darnell Manuel of the Union Baptist Church in Vallejo as guest speaker, along with many other special presentations.

Those who wish to share in Progressive’s history can purchase a 100-page full-colored souvenir book for $25.

The church boasts a number of notable people who either regularly attended or became members of the church since its inception, including former Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, and one of the organizers of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Helen J. H. Stephens.

Pastor Stuckey often remarks how longevity flourishes at the church — it boasts 13 centenarians (people who have reached 100 years or more). Currently, it has one centenarian who is still surviving, Mrs. Dorothy Chambers, and 14 members who have reached 90 years or more.

Recently, on Feb.17, the pastor and his wife Kay Frances, celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary.

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Activism

Faces Around the Bay: Author Karen Lewis Took the ‘Detour to Straight Street’

“My life has been a roller-coaster with an unlimited ride wristband! I was raised in Berkeley during the time of Ron Dellums, the Black Panthers, and People’s Park. I was a Hippie kid, my Auntie cut off all our hair so we could wear the natural styles like her and Angela Davis.

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Oakland Post

Karen Lewis. Courtesy photo.

By Barbara Fluhrer

I met Karen Lewis on a park bench in Berkeley. She wrote her story on the spot.

I got married young, then ended up getting divorced, raising two boys into men. After my divorce, I had a stroke that left me blind and paralyzed. I was homeless, lost in a fog with blurred vision.

Jesus healed me! I now have two beautiful grandkids. At 61, this age and this stage, I am finally free indeed. Our Lord Jesus Christ saved my soul. I now know how to be still. I lay at his feet. I surrender and just rest. My life and every step on my path have already been ordered. So, I have learned in this life…it’s nice to be nice. No stressing, just blessings. Pray for the best and deal with the rest.

Nobody is perfect, so forgive quickly and love easily!”

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Activism

Golden State Warriors Program Is Inspiring Next Generation of Female Engineers

Breaking down barriers and biases that deter young girls from pursuing STEAM subjects is essential for creating a level playing field and ensuring equal opportunities for all. By challenging stereotypes and promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity in STEAM fields, experts believe young girls can be empowered to pursue their interests and aspirations without limitations confidently. Encouraging mentorship, providing access to resources, and celebrating girls’ achievements in STEAM are all crucial steps in creating a supportive environment that fosters success.

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Front Row: UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team Back Row: Girls, Inc. Participants. Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

The Golden State Warriors and e-commerce giant Rakuten are joining forces to inspire the next generation of female engineers through Building STEAM Futures, part of The City Calls campaign.

Organizers say the initiative is founded on the idea that science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are crucial fields for innovation and progress, and empowering young girls to pursue careers in these areas is more important than ever. Studies consistently show that girls are underrepresented in STEAM fields, resulting in a gender disparity that limits potential and hinders diversity.

On Saturday, March 8, International Women’s Day, the Warriors and Rakuten hosted 20 middle school girls from Girls Inc. of Alameda County at Chase Center’s Above the Rim for a hands-on bridge-building experience. The young girls from Girls, Inc. of Alameda County had an opportunity to design, build and test their own bridge prototypes and learn the fundamentals of bridge construction from the Engineering Alliance and the UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team.

This STEAM experience for the girls followed the first session in January, where they took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, learning about its design and construction from industry experts. The City Calls campaign, tipped off with the unveiling the Warriors’ new bridge-themed City Edition jerseys and court design earlier this year.