We throw around terms like "Ramadan" and know about the Muslim practice of praying five times a day-we assume that we're educated and aware of Islam.
But why do Muslims celebrate Ramadan? What do Muslims at Duke think about extremists who kill in the name of Allah? How do Muslims practice their faith on a daily basis? Maybe we're not as educated and aware as we thought.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic (lunar) calendar, is observed as the time during of year when the Holy Qur'an was originally revealed. Every year, in celebration of this exceptional event, Muslims not only fast, but also pray together with even more frequency and make great charitable sacrifices. There's a lot more to the holiday than meets the eye of the passive non-Muslim.
Students may also be aware of another issue facing the Muslim community-at Duke in any case. A few weeks ago, the article "Muslims Seek Prayer Space" alerted Dukies to the dearth of room available for Muslim members of the University community. The prayer room in the basement of the Bryan Center is the only space permanently dedicated to Islamic worship on Duke's campus.
As an institution with a chapel as its centerpiece and an extensive Jewish life complex, there is a shocking lack of infrastructure devoted to the fastest growing faith on the planet. In step with the absence of architecture is the absence of knowledge about Islam.
The reaction to this article on message boards was far from friendly and supportive. One person asserted that Christian community centers need to be built in Muslim countries before Duke students deserve a space larger than an office for their gatherings, and alleged that Islam was a "Religion of Murder." Others suggested that the prayer space in the BC be taken away from "Muslim propagandists" and that they be placed under "serious surveillance." Are Muslims all raging fundamentalists, plotting to overtake and murder all non-Muslims?
Thankfully we need look no further than Von Canon, McClendon Tower and the John Hope Franklin Center-Islam Awareness Week is upon us.
Seminars and lectures seek to inform the public about several topics, including Jesus' role in Islam, women's place in the faith, and Islamic ethics. This timely symposium is a fabulous opportunity to become truly educated about the nature of Islam.
Islam is not as outlandish as emotionally charged message board comments and the occasional terrorist attack might convey. All religions have radicals and all leaders make egregious mistakes from time to time. The Crusades are not a time of history that many Christians are proud of, and few would claim in hindsight that the Inquisition was a good idea.
Just as the Qur'an contains passages of questionable interpretation, some parts of the Bible-even the New Testament-contain endorsements for slavery and the physical abuse of wives. Most Christians have adapted the Bible for 21st century societal norms, just as most Muslims have likewise adapted the Qur'an.
The only way to truly understand and claim to be educated is to engage with the religion firsthand-not through media. Islam Awareness Week provides a few opportunities, but the real opportunities present themselves at open Muslim Student Association-sponsored events throughout the year, in the Bryan Center as students are leaving their basement hideaway-prayer room and at the almost-weekly events offered by the Duke Islamic Studies Center.
With so many resources, you almost don't need to make an effort to educate yourself about the Islamic faith on Duke's campus. There is no excuse for ignorant message board comments or ongoing personal prejudices against Muslims.
Instead of being disinterested bystanders or feigning knowledge and awareness, we can easily become truly educated and conscientious members of the Duke community and the world at large.
Emily Thomey is a Trinity junior. Her column runs every other Tuesday.
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