9 G l wlw o P 2 BowlBow Game OOP 25 THINKING AHEAD. TTO PREGAME. 20 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016 THE INDEPENDENT DAILY NEWSPAPER FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COMMUNITY SINCE 1868 DAILYIOWAN.COM 50¢ Panel delves into Groups join to put Muslim identity on Diwali The University of Iowa Indian Student Alliance, South Asian Student Alliance, and the Pakistani Student Association will host a Diwali celebration on Saturday night. By NAOMI HOFFERBER
[email protected] For Ravjot Virdi, the director of formals for the South Asian Student Alliance, Di- wali is a celebration of family and commu- nity in her home in Des Moines. “A lot of the Indian families in Des Moines will all make Indian sweets at their houses, and to cele- brate the festival, they’ll go to each other’s houses and give sweets to each other,” she said. “It’s just the idea of sharing, and we always get together with a bunch of people and do fireworks at the end of the day.” Diwali, also known as the Virdi Festival of Lights, is a cul- director of formals tural celebration as well as a religious celebration, and it is meant to emphasize the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. A panel discusses various issues Muslims face in America, including racism and stereotyping in the Old Capitol on Thursday. The exhibit Have No Fear: Islamophobia in the 21st Century This festival is often lit with lamps, lights, explores different perspectives of how Muslims have been affected by terrorism. (The Daily Iowan/Simone Banks-Mackey) fireworks, and candles.