[ChotooMotoo]

I think everyone should be included, but it's also perfectly fair for MSA's to have a set of ground rules as to what is, and what is not appropriate in the MSA setting. Appropriateness should extend beyond appearance as well. For instance, is it really appropriate for MSA's to stage anti-Israel rally's? Is it appropriate for MSA's to talk with political candidates, or endorse political candidates? I think the answer to both of those questions is no. As for dress, I think it's perfectly reasonable to ask that ladies AND men wear non-offensive slogans/pictures on T-Shirts, and that ladies AND men should be covered from neck to elbow, to ankle. That eliminates cleavage problems, and seeing guys hairy legs. I think the rules should be a little lax, simple to avoid imposing one persons view/culture on another person. MSA's do exist in a very multi-cultural environment. Things that really are obviously against Islam, gambling, singleton dating, kissing, of course those thing shouldn't be organized by the MSA. Now, what individual MSA members do on their own time is their own business, but the MSA shouldn't shouldn't organize these events as a club.

Also, many MSA's have to be affiliated with Universities, and University guidelines for clubs must be followed. When MSA's pay attention to that, you'll see that they have to relax their rules about allowing non-Muslims to MSA meetings and events, and having women on the board. If they aren't following University guidelines, they can't affiliate themselves with the University.

At my last MSA, we had to totally re-write our contitution and by laws to conform to University rules. We had such rules as, the MSA will be under the Masjid board. That is in direct violation with the University rules. The old constituion had things like, non Non-Muslims allowed to be members, no women to serve on the board, all events to be sanctioned by the Masjid board etc. All of those things had to be thrown out if we wanted to be affiliated with the University, which we did becuase it gave us many more advantages than we had under the Masjid board. One of those being money, another being availability of locations, being able to reserve University property for Eid parties and Eid prayer etc. These are all things you have to keep in mind.