Duke University Should Have Never Made the Muslim Prayer Decision
The uproar over the decision by Duke University to begin a weekly Muslim call to prayer from the campus chapel should have never happened. Never. How such a decision was ever made to begin with is mystifying to say the least. That no one spoke up to say it was a bad idea is just plain irresponsible. I feel strongly about this issue because this is my school we're talking about. I am a proud alumnus of Duke and I hate to see the University hurt by such poor leadership.
Apparently last semester the Office of Religious Life made up of chaplains' from various faiths thought there should be a new addition to the weekly Muslim service. The adhan, the Muslim call to prayer would be broadcast from speakers on the top of the Chapel bell tower. Omid Safi, director of Duke's Islamic Studies Center said, "We had hoped for a symbolic action that would shine a light on how a leading international university in the American South can be a place where the symbol of the Christian heritage of the university is demonstrating hospitality to its Muslim community members." The fact there is a weekly Muslim service in the Christian chapel was not enough hospitality? The University has held weekly jummah prayers in the basement of the Chapel for over twenty years.
Duke Chapel is the centerpiece of the University, it is the symbol of the school, it is the most recognizable landmark on campus. It is also a functioning church. Every Sunday there are church services unlike other college chapels used only for weddings or special events. This is a local church. And Duke allows Muslims to use a room for their worship. Sounds pretty hospitable to me.
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The issue is not hospitality but promotion. Can you imagine a three minute long call to prayer broadcast across the campus? In that prayer are the words "Allahu Akbar" the very words Jihadist terrorists shout before they kill innocent people. How chilling would it be to hear those words and wonder what they might mean? How unwelcoming those words could be to the vast majority of students who are not Muslim especially if no other prayers were spoken.
Duke is a Christian Methodist university. It has a Divinity School located directly adjacent to the Chapel. The University may say it is non-sectarian but part of its mission is to train pastors (like myself) to minister the Christian gospel. If there should be any campus wide, broadcast prayer it would be a Christian prayer not a Muslim one.
Christy Lohr Sapp, associate dean for religious life at Duke, wrote an essay touting the decision saying, "This opportunity represents a larger commitment to religious pluralism that is at the heart of Duke's mission and connects the university to national trends in religious accommodation." It is important to note Duke kicked Chick fil A off campus after its president spoke out in favor of normative marriage. Duke has also not been hospitable to Pro-Life groups. Religious accommodation toward Christian teachings does not appear to be happening. Yet, accommodation of Muslim teachings, even promotion of them is supported. This is simply not fair. We are left to wonder what is really going on at Duke. Maybe there are a few people with an agenda maybe it is something more.
I am certain the decision to not have the Muslim call to prayer was correct. I am also sure it is not solely because of Franklin Graham this came about. Some media have put the onus on Graham (the son of Billy Graham) as if so many other alumni, parents and friends of the University had no bearing on the decision. What is so unfortunate is the decision was ever made in the first place.
