Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer riles some
Emma Lacey-Bordeaux, CNN
Updated 3:43 AM ET, Thu January 15, 2015
Story highlights
Decision “represents a larger commitment to religious pluralism,” school says
Franklin Graham calls on donors to withhold support
(CNN)The Muslim call to prayer will sound from a bell tower at North Carolina’s Duke University – but not everyone is considering the chant music to the ear.
Starting Friday, the Duke Muslim Students Association will chant the call, or adhan, from the Duke Chapel bell tower. The adhan signals the beginning of the weekly prayer service. It’s ubiquitous in Muslim countries the world over; not so in the Carolina piedmont.
The call will last three minutes and will be only “moderately amplified,” the school said.
Duke, which got its start in the late 19th century with help from the Methodist church, says the move “represents a larger commitment to religious pluralism that is at the heart of Duke’s mission.”
“It connects the university to national trends in religious accommodation,” said Christy Lohr Sapp, the chapel’s associate dean for religious life.
Various Christian denominations hold prayer and worship services in the chapel. The school also has spaces dedicated spaces on campus for various faiths, including Jews, Hindus and Buddhists.
“Just as the bells announce chapel worship in the building on Sundays, the adhan announces Muslim prayers on Fridays,” the chapel said.
Duke is a big name nationwide. US News and World Report rated it among the top 10 American universities.
Another big name in the state is strongly denouncing the school’s decision.
Franklin Graham, son of legendary evangelist Billy Graham, took to his Facebook page to call on donors to pressure the university into reversing course.
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
This is annoying for so many people. If I want to pray fajr I would set an Azan alarm in my iPhone rather than waking up the whole college kids who are not even muslim. Muslims really have trouble integrating. Doing this won’t put islam in a good light anyway - would be a nuisance for non muslims. Imagine people from church knocking at your door singing jingle bells 5 times a day
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
If more people don’t bother reading the article and just jump on the bandwagon by reading the first misinformed comment in this thread, then please note that the article clearly states in the beginning:
***The adhan signals the beginning of the weekly prayer service. **
*According to my Islamic knowledge, Jumma is the weekly afternoon prayer, not Fajar!
Church bells, Buddhist chapel gong, Adhan … They are all call for payers/service, hence only make sense if the neighborhood has a dominant population of that faith. Calling Azan from the top of tower in a predominant non Muslim community is like making fun of the religion. This is the problem with Muslims. We are extremely emotional and impractical people when it comes to religion
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
Yes, so now it’s less annoying. You can’t really compare to church bells which most of the time I don’t even hear accept on Easter or near Christmas. And Azan last 3mins. I don’t know what those muslim students are trying to prove. They know very well that if people want to show up for prayer they will anyway and those who don’t won’t and no amount of call to prayers would work on them
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
I agree with Pisiform here, I think it’s going to be counterproductive and spur more Islamaphobia. Sometimes I really wonder why our people are so scared of assimilate and integrate. Yes, this wonderful country gives is the freedome to practice our religion, but there already are numerous facilities for all religions to avail (prayer rooms, student associations etc) does the azaan really have to be called from the clocktower?
I already saw this on social media, and a friend sent me a link where people are going hysterical and threatening to boycott anything Duke related…I would seriously fear for my child’s safety on campus, it only takes one disgruntled psychopath.
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
Knowing it’s USA, more than annoying anyone else, they are actually putting themselves in extreme danger. So yes, it is entirely a very ill thought decision and a huge safety and security risk. I oppose it, and I hope they are stopped.
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
I agree with the majority here, this is going to do more harm than good. What is the point of Adaan when probably 90% or more of the population is nonmuslim? We are sinking our own ship here.
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
I really think you do need to read the article before commenting!
I don’t know which bells you are talking about and where and why can’t you hear them properly, but according the article, The Duke University *“bells announce chapel worship in the building on Sundays”. *So clearly not the case of annual bell ringing Christmas or Easter. More than the Muslim Students, it is actually the University that seems to think that this move is a useful attempt at promoting religious pluralism and keeping up with the ‘national trend of religious accommodation’. So really the University is at fault for thinking this could be a good PR move, and I see no reason why the entire Muslim community needs to be hammered and negatively generalised for one such decision. Sometimes I fail to see much difference between Islamphobic racists and some of self proclaimed ‘moderate Muslims’…they are both just as toxic and useless as each other.
It is a stupid and counter productive decision. Simple. Leave the mindless Muslim hating out of it.
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
muslims can go and sound a freakin trumpet for all I care but Azan is not comparable to that. Most non-Muslims and atheist/agnostic (which are growing in new generation hate the idea of religion - be it Jesus calling for church service or Isam). They dot want to hear the religion in the place of education. Azan is something sacred and throwing it around like that when you don’t actually have a need for it is terrible. I wouldn’t be surprised if you see those college kids impersonating azan/making fun of it and yea that’s freedom of speech. the idea is terrible from the get go.
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
Its not a good idea i agree. and shouldnt happen. But Jolie has raised a good point, if its a university PR stunt, why should the Muslim student body be blasted for it?
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
That’s why I said, knowing that it is USA - it is a bad, bad, in fact extremely bad decision. I can’t stress that enough.
Muslim students will become easy target for more racist and Islamphobic hate. It will just take racist extremist git in the USA to hear the Azaan on one afternoon, and take a loaded gun to prayer room and kill all the Maaslam ‘Arab looking’ terrorists who were all standing together in one line. It is very serious security risk for Muslims.
But you and others are trying to portray as if Muslims campaigned hard for this decision therefore “all Muslims” should be bashed for that and must face the collective public disgust whereas the article suggest that it is actually the University that’s promoting it as good pro diversity PR stunt.
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
And unfortunately, Islamaphobes now automatically relate “Allahhu Akbar” to terrorism thanks to the stupid media constantly reminding the masses that the savages who carry out these terror strikes love to call out Allahu Akbar while doing so. This could open up the floodgates for more satire and misinformation. I see this causing more alienation, rather then fostering pluralism.
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
Because Muslim student association there came up with this idea of Azan, not the dean if I am correct. They don’t want to reject because they want to show themselves as tolerant, non-racist, less islamophobic and they don’t want to be in a paper where we see Duke coc*blocking freedom of religion. People are simply abusing their right of freedom of speech.
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
Its one a week on friday. 3 min.
I have feeling people live through it.
Plus you assume many things.
Plus I absolutely love hearing church bell.
Plus if some did not have his head shoved in youtube all day, they might like hearing a sound coming from the sky.
like church bell.
Plus lose the attitude of every thing which is muslim and visible is bad.
Re: Duke University’s decision to sound Muslim call to prayer(azan every friday)
It’s only fair then that every Friday at sundown, Shabbat prayer should also be announced over loud speakers on campus…at Maghrib time all the Muslims would surely love to hear Baruch atah, Adonai,* **Eloheinu, melech haolam,**asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav, **v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat. *
We are sinking our own ship here.