The Village School educates 1810 students who represent over 60 different nationalities across six continents. Identity is a big part of our school, to the point that we boast our international student body to the world and are ranked the number 1 diverse school in Houston by Niche. We have a whole day in our school year dedicated to celebrating our diversity. We are made up of many cultures and Islam is one of them. Identifying as a Muslim means something different to each person. What does it mean to you?

“To me, being a Muslim is a way of living,” says Sophomore Saif Ganni, who has been attending The Village School since his freshman year. “Islam has high moral values and teaches us to live a balanced life. One important part of being a Muslim is activism, and standing up for people’s basic human rights, regardless of their faith, race, or background.”

That’s one of the reasons why Ganni formed the Muslim Student Association at Village; he feels that it is vital to give back whether it’s advocating for someone’s rights or helping the community’s needs.

Sophomore Omar Abouelazm is another proud Muslim and feels that being a Muslim means respecting others and treating others the way you want to be addressed.

“It is about helping the community in any way possible and respecting all the members in the community,” Abouelazm says.

Abouelazm dislikes when Islam is negatively portrayed because he believes that isn’t representative of the reality of his religion. He views someone who follows the religion as respectful and peaceful.

“(Islam) mentions and reiterates the topic of giving back to the community,” Abouelazm says.  “As a Muslim, I constantly try to give to my community and be kind (and) respectful to all my community members.”

Abouelazm believe that our school is proud of being a point of cultural collaboration, a place where we all can coexist with the same end goal in mind: receiving a well-rounded education.

“Islam is also about being grateful for what you have, … to understand how the unfortunate may feel when it comes to surviving their lives, day by day,” Abouelazm says. “(We need to) understand how fortunate we are and how we should give to people less fortunate than us. Giving back to the community, respecting others, and being grateful is what being a Muslim means to me.”