Next generation serves community
College student erodes anti-muslim bigotry one free meal at a time
Aleyna Nur Sarap is a 21-yearold college student busy getting ready to graduate, but in her free time she serves hundreds of people in need through the Muslim Soup Kitchen Project.
“Our motto is creating unity by serving humanity, and that speaks to a lot of what we want to accomplish with this project because there is a lot of judgment and prejudice to Muslims all around the world, not just in Albany, and being able to break it down just a little bit by serving our community shows even through the tiniest thing we can make a difference,” Sarap said.
The University at Albany senior became the project’s assistant director in January after she spent two months shadowing Director Uzma Popal, who has been at the helm since 2014.
The Muslim Soup Kitchen Project, housed out of Al-hidaya Center in Latham, has won multiple local awards for serving the community since it was started by RPI students in 2003.
The project partners with homeless shelters and local organizations like Unity House of Troy and the Ronald Mcdonald House in Albany to feed at least 300 people through its monthly soup kitchen.
It also runs ongoing meat drives, filling freezers with donated food, and collects an annual toiletries drive.
Popal, a 42-year-old administrator at Al-hidaya Center’s Islamic school who immigrated with her family from Pakistan, said more non-muslim families have been reaching out for help.
Religion drives the project and its newest leader. Sarap explained that charity, called sadaqah, is a main pillar of Islam. Muslims are called to donate what they have and give knowing they’ll get it back, she said.
Another important part of Islam is dawah, sharing the faith.
“We want to make sure we are reaching out to people and also showing them and teaching them about Islam. We’re doing this because we like to help people, it’s a good thing about Islam, along with a lot of good things,” Sarap said.
Sarap, who immigrated from Turkey when she was 11 years old, used to come to the Al-hidaya Mosque with her family and began volunteering with the project around five years ago.
Once a newcomer to the U.S., she said she understands what local immigrants and refugees go through and wants to serve them.
“Refugees are trying to cling to life and survive in any way that they can. They don’t have a lot of opportunities because of the language barrier, they’re new in the country, they’re learning things,” Sarap said. “They’re also financially not doing well. They’re seeking refuge here. Being able to find out what they need, just regular things, such as toys and books and school supplies and non-perishable foods, things we can easily donate to help them and their children out and make sure they feel at home here, to be able to give that as well is a huge thing for us.”
The project is running a toiletries drive to give to local refugees through the organization New York for Syrian Refugees and homeless shelters in the area.
Director Popal said the drive focuses on toiletries and cleaning supplies that people can’t buy with food stamps.
Halfway through the drive, boxes in Al-hidaya Center, one of five collection sites, were only half-full with toilet paper and hair care products — but the organizers are hopeful that Friday prayer time will fill them.
Next month, the group will organize a canned food drive. The group hosts the annual Muslim Soup Kitchen Project day on April 27.
Sarap has been accepted to graduate school at New York University and Cornell University in the fall, but said she will continue coordinating volunteers for the project and plans to come back home for monthly meetings.
Popal said she wants Sarap to be the new face of the project and emphasized partnership in their purpose is paramount.
“Together we’re going to lift this community up,” Popal said.