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18 July 2006
Founder Outlines Creation, Mission of First Muslim Sorority in U.S.
Althia Collins says Gamma Gamma Chi seeks to promote positive image of Islam
Washington -- Althia Collins became president and executive director of the first sorority based on Islamic principles, Gamma Gamma Chi, when it was formed in April 2005. She recently fielded questions about the creation and mission of Gamma Gamma Chi in a State Department-hosted webchat.
For many American university students, fraternities and sororities are important social or service-based communities. When Collins’ daughter Imani Abdul-Haqq could not find a sorority that was compatible with her Islamic faith, she asked her mother for help in creating a group that would give her the sorority experience while allowing her to follow Islamic traditions.
“She appreciated the sisterhood, opportunities for philanthropy, and leadership development that sororities offer,” Collins said of her daughter during the July 18, 2006, webchat, “and she understood that on many college and university campuses sororities have the greatest visibility, so she imagined a sorority for herself and other Muslimahs that would honor Islamic beliefs.”
Gamma Gamma Chi aims higher than just providing an Islam-friendly sorority experience, Collins said. “Our mission is to promote a positive image of Muslim women and Islam in general. We have found that there are no other organizations that are addressing this need.”
Collins made it clear that Gamma Gamma Chi is not exclusively Muslim. “Membership is open to non-Muslims who support our mission,” she said. “We simply are offering another alternative for those who want to be involved in sorority life.”
When asked about how this sorority fits in with the others on campus, especially considering the reputation that many fraternities and sororities have for partying, Collins said, “If there are organizations engaging in activities that we consider to be inappropriate, we will look for other groups to work with.”
She outlined the process by which Gamma Gamma Chi Sorority Inc. was formed. She said that even though only one woman attended the first meeting, Collins and her daughter were “undaunted” by the low participation. They continued to plan the formation of the sorority, and soon many inquiries were received.
“It was clear that the idea was one whose time had come,” said Collins.
Imani asked her mother, an educational consultant, to serve as president, and the sorority was incorporated in Virginia in July 2005. The sorority has chapters in Alexandria,Virginia – the organization’s headquarters -- and Atlanta, where it serves many local colleges and universities.
But they are not stopping at two chapters. “We are also currently working to establish our third chapter in the Washington D.C. metro area,” said Collins. “We have interest [from students] also in the Philadelphia metro area as well as at the University of Kentucky, Rutgers [in New Jersey], and University of Maryland system schools.”
“The main obstacle in the formation of this sorority has been financial,” she said.
Collins emphasized the importance of word-of-mouth advertising for Gamma Gamma Chi, saying, “It is important for people who have interacted with us to tell of their positive experiences. This public relations activity is absolutely critical.”
Collins is optimistic about the future of Gamma Gamma Chi. The sorority has received inquiries from 23 U.S. states as well as the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Australia, she said.
She hopes to establish chapters in every region of the United States by 2015 as well as in several other countries.
For more information, see “Muslim Sorority Opens New Doors to American University Women.”
The transcript of the Webchat is available on America.gov.
More information on Gamma Gamma Chi is available on its Web site.
[Editor’s note: As of January 2008, Gamma Gamma Chi had chapters in several metropolitan areas: Atlanta; Alexandria,Virginia (including Washington, D.C.); Philadelphia; Indianapolis; and Greensboro, North Carolina.]
