Correction appended: An earlier version of this story stated that Mark Vanderput is a former pastor of Harvest Mission Community Church. It also stated that Campus Ministry organized I love Muslims Day.

In light of recent anti-Islamic sentiment around the country, some student groups are working in Ann Arbor to promote understanding and appreciation for one another — with the ultimate goal of eliminating “Islamaphobia” on campus.

The groups have been organizing events — like I Love Muslims Day and Pink Hijab Day — to help facilitate a dialogue between students of all religions at the University.

Last Monday, the Harvest Mission Community Church and several religious student groups organized I Love Muslims Day, which took place in North Quad. About 60 members of the Muslim Students’ Association attended, along with about 60 Christian students from 12 campus Christian organizations, like New Life Church and Campus Crusade for Christ.

After breaking into groups of six — each with three Muslim students and three Christian students — the students participated in an icebreaker and watched a presentation called “Top 10 Reasons Why We Love Muslims.” A Halal dinner followed, along with a group discussion.

Mark Vanderput, who regularly attends Muslim Students’ Association events put on for non-Muslims with his wife, said a friend gave him the idea for the I Love Muslims Day, prompting Vanderput to contact the association’s president, Nader Hakim.

“I said, ‘I’d love to do it on 9/11 because in fact, this crazy guy in Florida wants to burn a Quran that day, and we just want to show you guys that the Jesus we love and worship is not like that,’” Vanderput said.

The date was later changed to Oct. 25 due to schedule conflict with the end of Ramadan.

Hakim said he enjoyed the event and thought it encouraged dialogue between the students who attended.

“It was really amazing. Overall it was a really sincere effort on (Campus Ministry’s) part, and that’s what I think made it really great,” Hakim said.

Joining the fight against Islamaphobia is the University’s chapter of JStreetU, a nationwide student organization that aims to promote peace in the Middle East.

According to a Sept. 14 viewpoint in The Michigan Daily, the University’s chapter of JStreetU is petitioning students to voice opposition toward anti-Muslim sentiments. The organization’s members want to present the petition to the Michigan Student Assembly in an effort to pass a resolution about fostering a safe campus environment for Muslim students.

So far, JStreetU has gained nearly 700 signatures. The organization has reached out to others for support as well, including the University’s chapter of College Democrats and University of Michigan Hillel, in order to promote the petition and resolution.

LSA sophomore Yonah Lieberman, the outreach chair of the University's chapter of JStreetU, explained the importance of collaborating with outside organizations on campus to promote awareness of Islamaphobia.

“It’s really important to show that students from all backgrounds and all walks of life are against Islamaphobia,” he said. “Thankfully, it hasn’t really hit Ann Arbor so much.”

Like Campus Ministry, JStreetU also collaborated with the Muslim Students’ Association last month to discuss what could be done about anti-Islamic sentiment.

Because there is a strong presence of Muslims and Arabs in the state, JStreetU and the Muslim Students’ Association hosted an event on Oct. 6 to hold a conversation about Islamaphobia in Michigan. About 35 students gathered in a Mason Hall classroom for the talk.

Though the recent events are helping to increase dialogue, Muslim Students' Association officials say they want to do more to connect with other students on campus.