BYU-Idaho Radio · What is it like to be a Muslim student at BYU-Idaho?
The majority of students at BYU-Idaho are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, however, less than 1% of them do not identify as members of the Church of Jesus Christ. Someone who is part of that small percentage is Nawres Al Juaifari.
Although Al Juaifari does not identify as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, she does identify with another religion. Al Juaifari practices the Islamic faith, she’s a Muslim.
Al Juaifari grew up in Iraq and at 14 years old, moved to Texas with her family. She was surprised to see people similar to her in her classes at school, which made the transition easier.
After high school, Al Juaifari decided to work for a year and figure out what she wanted to study in college. During this time, her friend, who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, told her about BYU-Idaho and encouraged her to attend. After thinking about it, Al Juaifari decided to go.
Despite having different beliefs, Al Juaifari wasn’t nervous to attend the university.
“I wasn’t worried about the faith part, especially knowing that I had a best friend there and she taught me about it so I wasn’t going to make any silly mistake. But I definitely had to learn more once I came here,” Al Juaifari said.
Al Juaifari wears a hijab, and notices people taking a second look at her sometimes.
“They don’t mean it in a disrespectful way. They just give it a second look like ‘Oh, did I see this right? There is a Muslim woman,’” Al Juaifari said.
Al Juaifari said most people on campus have been very respectful of her religion. She appreciates that her professors don’t treat her differently than other students.
At times, it can be hard to be Muslim in a place like Rexburg, Idaho, Al Juaifari said. She misses attending her mosque and it is hard to find halal food. Halal food adheres to Islamic Law, which is found in The Quran.
Al Juaifari encourages people who don’t know about the Islamic faith and culture to learn more about it. She hopes that everyone can respect each other's beliefs and be friends, despite their differences.