Alpha Lambda Mu

Alpha Lambda Mu (ΑΛΜ) (ألم:Alif Laam Meem in Arabic) is the first national Muslim fraternity in America.[1][2] It was established in 2013 at the University of Texas at Dallas as a social fraternity with an emphasis on community service.[2][3]

Alpha Lambda Mu
(Alif Laam Meem)
ΑΛΜ
ألم
FoundedFebruary 12, 2013 (February 12, 2013)
University of Texas at Dallas
TypeSocial
EmphasisIslam
ScopeNational
Mission statementTo connect, build, and sustain a lifelong brotherhood as the first Muslim-interest fraternity in America through excellence in character, excellence in service, excellence in intellectual standard, and excellence in creativity amongst all members, chapters, conglomerates, and associates.
Chapters11 (6 active)
Colonies1
Headquarters924 Horseshoe Bnd.
Richardson, Texas 75081
United States
Websitealphalambdamu.org

History

Ali Mahmoud founded Alpha Lambda Mu at the University of Texas at Dallas in February 2013.[1] At the time Mahmoud was a nineteen-year-old junior; he is also a first-generation Egyptian-American.[1][4] Mahmoud created Alpha Lambda Mu as a social fraternity "to offer Muslim students the chance to express both sides of their identity, the American and the Muslim"[1][3] Araf Hossain was the fraternity's co-founder.[3]

Mahmoud and Hossain formed a council with other interested Muslims.[3] On February 13, 2013, the council sent invitations to students they believed would be interested in joining the new fraternity.[3] Later that month, seventeen members were admitted with a ceremony that included being knighted with a red kufi cap and donating a $100 initiation fee to a charity.[3][5][4] Collectively, these seventeen members were called the Kufi Krew.[4] Its first rush was held in September 2013; forty men rushed the fraternity and twenty were offered bids.[1][6]

The fraternity became national in 2014 with the addition of Beta chapter at the University of California, San Diego and Gamma chapter at Cornell University.[7][2] Rumzi Khan was the founder of the Beta chapter.[1] As it expanded, the fraternity was somewhat controversial; Mahmoud noted, "We’ve gotten fire from the Islamaphobes saying that we’re a sleeper cell, we’ve gotten fire from the super-progressive Muslims saying that we’re rooted in a white elitist organization that’s trying to take control of Islam and put on misogynistic ideals again."[8]

As of fall 2020, the fraternity has six active chapters and two colonies. On some campuses, the fraternity is a member of the Interfraternity Council.[9][10] The fraternity is governed by its National Shura; it also has an advisory board.[11]

Symbols

The fraternity's Greek letters, ΑΛΜ, are the phonetic equivalent of Alif Laam Meem, three Arabic letters that start chapters of the Quran.[1][2][4] Its members were a red kufi caps.[4] The fraternity's bagdge is a silver Sandala pin that features its logo.

Members

Its members are Muslim or non-Muslims who share the same ideas, regardless of sexual orientation.[6][9][3] Its members come from a variety of backgrounds including American, Egyptian, Arab, Somalian, Pakistani, and Benga.[3]

Activities
Fraternity embers at a Dallas protest against domestic violence in March 2013.

Because of its affiliation with Islam, Alpha Lambda Mu is atypical of most social collegiate Greek letter organizations; it prohibits alcohol, hazing, most co-ed events, adultery, or fornication.[1][12] Some of its activities incorporate an imam for lectures and prayers.[1] Its service activities include picking up litter, distributing water to the homeless, and a nationwide campaign raising funds and combating domestic violence.[1][13] The Alpha chapter has provided food and supplies after a fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas and helped clean up after tornados in Moore, Oklahoma.[8][4]

The fraternity has taken a position "against domestic violence, fair trade violations, or any other form of oppression."[3] It hosts a four-day Akhtober event that benefits local shelters and transitional homes for women.[13] On March 24, 2013, Alpha chapter confronted negative stereotypes of Muslim Men when they joined a protest against domestic violence in Dallas, Texas.[12] Photos of fraternity members carrying signs that read, "Muslims Say No to Domestic Violence" and "Muslims Say Yes to Women's Rights" went viral on the Internet and was covered by national news.[12]

The Alpha Lambda Mu Foundation was established as a 501(c)3 charity in 2019.[14]

Chapters

Following is a list of Alpha Lambda Mu chapters. Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are indicated in italics.

Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Status Reference
Grand Alpha February 13, 2013 University of Texas at Dallas Dallas, Texas Active [7][15]
Beta 2014 University of California, San Diego San Diego, California Active [7][15]
Gamma 2014–20xx ? Cornell University Ithaca, New York Inactive [7]
Delta 201x ?–20xx ? San Diego State University San Diego, California Inactive [7]
Epsilon 201x–20xx ? University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, California Inactive [7]
Zeta 2016–20xx ? Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pennsylvania Inactive [7]
Eta 201x ? University of Toledo Toledo, Ohio Active [7][15]
Theta 2019 University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, Wisconsin Active [7][16][15]
Iota 2020–202x ? Texas Tech University Lubbock, Texas Inactive [7]
Kappa 2020 University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas Active [7][15]
Lambda 2021 Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona Active [7][15]
Colony 2017–20xx ? University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Inactive ? [7]
Colony 2017–20xx ? East Carolina University Greenville, North Carolina Inactive ? [7]
Colony 2017–20xx ? University of California, Irvine Irvine, California Inactive ? [7]
Colony 2017–20xx ? Miami University Oxford, Ohio Inactive ? [7]
Colony 2017–20xx ? University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma Inactive ? [7][17]
Colony 20xx ?–20xx ? San Jose State University San Jose, California Inactive [18][lower-alpha 1]
Colony 2023 Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio Active [19]

In June 2022. Dylan Hollingsworth (videographer) and Wheeler Sparks (director) released Kufi Krew: An American Story, a documentary about the fraternity.[13][20] The documentary's name refers to a former YouTube channel where fraternity brother's posted humorous videos.[13][6] The film's creators, who are not members of the fraternity, started working on the project in 2013.[13] Hollingsworth said, "We knew that this community was a really powerful vehicle through which you could examine the Muslim American identity and maybe answer some questions for people who really don’t know a lot about that."[13]

See also

Notes
  1. This chapter was suspended or never recognized by San José State University or its national office for hazing, violence, or inappropriate chapter management practices.

References
  1. Spencer, Kyle (February 6, 2014). "Fraternity Life, Islamic Style". The New York Times. p. 22.
  2. "A Frat Of Their Own: Muslims Create A New Space On Campus". NPR National Public Radio. March 8, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  3. Wenerd, Brandon (September 17, 2013). "An Interview with the Founder of Alpha Lambda Mu, America's First Muslim Fraternity (Ali Mahmoud)". BroBible. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  4. Kim, Eun Kyung (September 13, 2013). "Fraternity paves 'new path for Muslims on campus'". Today (NBC). Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  5. Hafiz, Yasmine (2013-09-05). "Meet Alif Laam Meem, America's First Muslim Fraternity, AKA Alpha Lambda Mu". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  6. Broderick, Ryan (September 6, 2013). "10 Things You Might Not Know About America's First Muslim Fraternity". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  7. Lurding, Carroll and Becque, Fran. (December 3, 2022) Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities. Urbana: University of Illinois. Accessed December 23, 2022.
  8. Boyd, Clark (September 16, 2013). "Life at Alpha Lambda Mu: America's First All-Muslim Fraternity". The World. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  9. Alpert, Bruce (June 5, 2017). "Muslim Fraternities Finding Place on US Campuses". Voice of America (VOA). Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  10. Italia, Eric (2017-05-23). "Alpha Lambda Mu: Cornell IFC Welcomes First Muslim-Interest Fraternity". COED. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  11. "Governance". Alpha Lambda Mu. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  12. Emily Deruy (April 8, 2013). "Muslim Fraternity Confronts Negative Stereotypes". ABC News. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  13. Spahalic, Hedija (October 14, 2022). "First Muslim Frat: Alpha Lambda Mu and The Meaning of Brotherhood". American Muslim Today. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  14. "Alpha Lambda Mu Foundation | Charity Navigator Profile". www.charitynavigator.org. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  15. "Current Chapters". Alpha Lambda Mu. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  16. "Muslim Fraternity at UW-Madison builds brotherhood and character". Wisconsin Muslim Journal. 2019-03-05. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  17. "2018 University of Oklahoma Fraternity & Sorority Experience Guide by University of Oklahoma Fraternity and Sorority Programs and Services - Issuu". issuu.com. 5 July 2018. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  18. "Student Org Conduct | Student Involvement". www.sjsu.edu. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  19. "Alpha Lambda Mu at Ohio State : Find a Student Organization: Student Activities". activities.osu.edu. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  20. "Dallas filmmakers chronicle America's first Muslim fraternity in new documentary". Dallas News. 2022-08-24. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
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