Watkins Mill High School’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) members started a Henna tattooing fundraiser to help support Palestinians in Gaza. 

“It’s very unfortunate what’s happening right now,” vice president of MSA Noora Syarief said.

MSA held the fundraiser from Monday, November 6 – November 17, raising a total of $222. Students were able to get henna tattoos in the mixing bowl using a dye derived from a plant that stains the skin to create temporary art.

The henna artist, Syarief, added that MSA collaborated with the National Honor Society who gave their support to the cause by selling friendship bracelets, bringing the total to around $450. 

 MSA president Muhammad Mushfiqur Rahman said that the proceeds raised will reach Palestinians through a bigger campaign online called Ali Dawah – Palestine Emergency Appeal.

History teacher and sponsor for the fundraiser Tilghman Gordon who sponsored the same fundraiser last year said, “We have discussed holding a Town Hall to talk about the current issue in Gaza as well as potential future fundraisers,” as for any plans to further help Palestinians.

“The most nuanced and difficult conflict to unpack I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime,” Gordon said about the situation, and “my heart breaks for the hundreds of Palestinians living in Gaza, many of which are children. Gordon also added that “the students of the MSA are incredible, their passion for the global Muslim community is inspiring.”

“It’s just a way for us as a Muslim community and the Brown community to express our culture and the unique way,” Syarief said. “On social media, we didn’t really post that much, but we made the same amount of money. I’m not going to be here next year. But I would love it if the MSA leadership could continue this tradition.”

“So for this fundraiser, we chose henna because in a lot of Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures, and tattooing is very common, and so to help the victims of Gaza we also wanted to do something that is common to their culture,” junior Niharika Wadehra said. “We had a lot of people who turned up and supported so it was it was also fun.  I enjoyed doing it.”

“I’m not part of MSA but one of the leaders came up to me we collaborated,” senior NHS member Aarju Karki said. “Last year we had way more people come in than this year, but this year, we did make more profit just because it was combined. MSA should continue this idea because students want happiness and it’s a really good way to spread culture.”