New Islamic Sorority

[mccoyred]

Originally posted by Drolefille
It would be like a sorority openly saying, our Patron is a Greek God/dess and having a woman complain about idolatry or pagans or something post-joining.

Unfortunately, this happens more often than you think.

[Drolefille]

Originally posted by mccoyred
Unfortunately, this happens more often than you think.

Yes, but it shouldn't! It's ok not to want anything to do with a Greek god/goddess but don't join KKG or AXO when they tell you who their patron is.

Of course arguing shoulds and shouldn'ts gets us no where. But I think that though a woman could join Gamma Gamma Chi and be offended, she has no one to blame but herself.

[Little E]

I believe that reading the Qur'an is a required tenant of Islam. Memorization of the holy texts is highly regarded and some memorization and reading of the texts is required to simply perform daily prayers. So because it is a basic tenant of the religion that the org was founded on, I don't think it is far off to have reading the Qur'an required.

[NewBee]

I just want to say I wish them all the luck in the world, and they'll need it. People are so distrusting of anything new. I don't know why some people feel the need to question another organization's existance, why can't it exist because someone thought it up? There are 9 NPHC organizations with roughly the same purpose, like what 30 plus NPC and NIC organizations who all just want to serve and help the community and this is good. So if these groups spawn off little groups that combine religion, or sexually preference, or whatever, but they still want to serve the community, than what's the problem???

[hoosier]

More at:

http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.ph...4-102946-3632r

America's first Islamic sorority formed
By Julia Duin
The Washington Times
Published January 4, 2006

WASHINGTON -- America's first Islamic sorority is more about God than being Greek.

There will be no beer at Gamma Gamma Chi functions, in obedience to Islamic law, nor will there be group fraternizing with the opposite sex.

"Partying is allowed in Islam, but it's how you party," said Althia Collins, an Alexandria businesswoman who has helped create it. "You can have fun with girls and it doesn't have to include men."

Thirteen women at the University of Kentucky will form the sorority's first college chapter this spring, and another group is waiting to start at the University of Maryland's Baltimore campus. A citywide chapter in the District, made up of women from several local universities, is also in the works.

Along with pledges, there will be prayer to Allah. Instead of hazing, there's hijab, the scarf some devout Muslim women wear. Covering one's hair is not mandated within Gamma Gamma Chi; in fact, four out of the five board members do not wear one.

Mrs. Collins' daughter, Imani Abdul-Haqq, came up with concept for Gamma Gamma Chi while rushing sororities at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C.

As Mrs. Abdul-Haqq entered the room wearing her scarf, "They looked at her like she had three heads," Mrs. Collins said.


(Included in the article is mention of a $50,000 gift to get this started)

[Imperial1]

Originally posted by KDlady04
I think that this is a good thing for Muslim women. They face a lot of discrimination,

How is a muslimah's discrimination any different from the non-muslim women's discrimination? i.e. Hip Hop video girls.

Imperial1

[ladylike]

Originally posted by Imperial1
How is a muslimah's discrimination any different from the non-muslim women's discrimination? i.e. Hip Hop video girls.

Imperial1

Don't answer this question. It will start a never ending cycle from which there is no escape.

[Drolefille]

As a non direct way of addressing the above that hopefully doesn't lead to the arguement and if it does, oh well I was bored anyway:

Why wasn't everyone satisfied with the Adelphean Society? I mean it was for women right? What you need more? Ok fine, why didn't we stop with Kappa Alpha Theta, the first greek letter society for women? Wait, wasn't Pi Beta Phi in there too? Well shoot we have at least three now, what more do you people want. Oh a "Sorority" well fine.. lets add Gamma Phi Beta into the mix. There that should satisfy every single need you have.

What, it doesn't?

Fine.. look lets make it say... 26. Now you couldn't possibly want anything else.... What? Ok fine and lets add 4 more who'll make up part of the NPHC. FINALLY Done! What? you want... locals? and multiculturals and latino GLOS and religious based?

Ok, sounds alright by me.


Ok, long way to make my point, but what I'm trying to say is that every woman should have a chance to find her home. Questioning the legitimacy of this sorority, which seems well thought out and financed, is not much different than questioning the legitimacy of every woman's secret society that follows the first. By this logic we'd all be ADPis or Adelpheans (if they kept their name, there wouldn't be any other sororities to influence the change at all) There's a difference in the ideals of Delta Gamma and Kappa Delta and Sigma Kappa and Chi Omega and Alpha Kappa Alpha and Gamma Gamma Chi. But it's OK.


*phew*
/soapbox

[mulattogyrl]

Originally posted by ladylike


Don't answer this question. It will start a never ending cycle from which there is no escape.

This is hilarious. True, but hilarious.

[ladygreek]

Originally posted by ladylike

Don't answer this question. It will start a never ending cycle from which there is no escape.

You got that right!

[Imperial1]

Originally posted by Drolefille
As a non direct way of addressing the above that hopefully doesn't lead to the arguement and if it does, oh well I was bored anyway:

Why wasn't everyone satisfied with the Adelphean Society?

Maybe because everyone wasn't accepted for various undisclosed reasons. Or wasn't interested.

Imperial1

[Imperial1]

Originally posted by ladylike


Don't answer this question. It will start a never ending cycle from which there is no escape.

Because there is no answer.

Imperial1

[ATLG1RL]

This is my very first post. Soon I will have my letters and post them in my signature line for you all to see.

A few outstanding questions on this topic that I wanted to address.

(1) Undergraduates cannot be members of 2 sororities and those are rules establishe by the Colleges and probably the NPC. Many graduate students have become members of a second sorority and that is why the question was posted on the GGC website.

(2) Dr. Althia Collins is a member of DST and it is true that she was forced to resign from Bennett College because of her religion, which helped to inspire her and Imani to found GGC. You all say that something like the "Divine Nine" should not make a person uncomfortable but that's because you do not practice Islam, so you see nothing wrong with the concept. Also, don't say that Gamma Gamma Chi was formed with little research of other sororities and fraternities because that is far from the truth.

(3) The founders saw a need and the filled the void, there should be no further doubts, wish them well and keep it moving. Because apparently most of you have found your home. Did you even think that others had not found their's yet?

Lastly and most importantly the sorority is open to both muslim an non-muslim women. No one is forced to read the Qu'ran, no one is forced to where hijab and no one is forced to pray five times a day. The sorority is founded on Islamic principies, and if anyone knows anything about the religion will smile and say Wow, that's great and wish them well.

The comments that I've read through in this thread just all but proves why an islamic sorority is needed, to alleviate the misconceptions about Islam and muslim women in general. Yes, there are muslim student organizations on campus, but why must there be a limit on what muslim students can have? Everyone deserves to have options, and if its a black sorority, multicultural sorority, islamic, christian or whatever sorority at least a person can weigh their options and find a place that feels right for them.

Because Greek is for life !!!! Peace and always Love

[PhoenixAzul]

Originally posted by Drolefille
As a non direct way of addressing the above that hopefully doesn't lead to the arguement and if it does, oh well I was bored anyway:

Why wasn't everyone satisfied with the Adelphean Society? I mean it was for women right? What you need more? Ok fine, why didn't we stop with Kappa Alpha Theta, the first greek letter society for women? Wait, wasn't Pi Beta Phi in there too? Well shoot we have at least three now, what more do you people want. Oh a "Sorority" well fine.. lets add Gamma Phi Beta into the mix. There that should satisfy every single need you have.

What, it doesn't?

Fine.. look lets make it say... 26. Now you couldn't possibly want anything else.... What? Ok fine and lets add 4 more who'll make up part of the NPHC. FINALLY Done! What? you want... locals? and multiculturals and latino GLOS and religious based?

Ok, sounds alright by me.


Ok, long way to make my point, but what I'm trying to say is that every woman should have a chance to find her home. Questioning the legitimacy of this sorority, which seems well thought out and financed, is not much different than questioning the legitimacy of every woman's secret society that follows the first. By this logic we'd all be ADPis or Adelpheans (if they kept their name, there wouldn't be any other sororities to influence the change at all) There's a difference in the ideals of Delta Gamma and Kappa Delta and Sigma Kappa and Chi Omega and Alpha Kappa Alpha and Gamma Gamma Chi. But it's OK.


*phew*
/soapbox

Cheers to this. It disheartens me a bit when people, especially in the Locals forum, discourage new sororities from forming on the basis of "there's good ones allready out there". Perhaps it is because my own sorority fought that rhetoric to be founded and refounded...and even to stay. People say things like, "oh XYZ sorority is so small, why do they even bother"...well, because that sisterhood is something special to those girls.

I hope Gamma Gamma Chi brings the same happiness to her new members that Tau Delta has brought to me.

Good luck, ladies.

[jubilance1922]

Originally posted by ATLG1RL

(2) Dr. Althia Collins is a member of DST and it is true that she was forced to resign from Bennett College because of her religion, which helped to inspire her and Imani to found GGC. You all say that something like the "Divine Nine" should not make a person uncomfortable but that's because you do not practice Islam, so you see nothing wrong with the concept. Also, don't say that Gamma Gamma Chi was formed with little research of other sororities and fraternities because that is far from the truth.

I'm a member of Sigma Gamma Rho and also a Muslim, and I don't have a problem with the phrase "divine 9"....