One of the best things to happen to Duke during my time here was the arrival last fall of Abdullah Antepli, Duke's first-ever Muslim Chaplain. For those of you keeping score, the only other American universities with a full-time Muslim chaplain are Princeton, Yale and Georgetown.
I was wary of writing this column, dreading the ignorant and hateful comments that consistently trail articles online on the subject of Islam. Yet what I've learned from Imam Abdullah is not to fear the comments section. One of the many requirements of his job is to respond to those who have questions or misconceptions about Islam, a task he faces intelligently and gracefully.
I arrange a meeting with Imam Abdullah, and he e-mails me back from his iPhone confirming the time and date. He is accessible and genuinely wants to get to know me. Sitting in his office in Grey, I catch a glimpse of his iCalender: His schedule for the week is packed with little green blocks indicating appointments and meetings. But he never rushes our meeting; instead, he asks me about myself, my religion major and my religious experiences on campus.
He tells me that the biggest challenge for any campus chaplain is to create a community out of a diverse group of people. The mark of success for a chaplain is finding common ground and bridging the gaps to provide an environment where students feel comfortable.
Fast forward to the end of the week and I find myself entering the York Room for the Jummah, the Friday afternoon Muslim prayer. I've never actually been inside this room, which is on the second floor of the Grey building at the top of the stairs. The doors are usually locked, but sometimes I glance inside when there's an event or reception held there. Today, students stream in, dropping their backpacks at the back of the room and removing their shoes.
The tables are pushed aside and white sheets are spread across the open floor. I'm standing alone, somewhat awkwardly I imagine, when someone asks me nicely if he can help me. I tell him no thanks, that I'm here for the service, and I start helping with the sheets.
I panic when I look down at my feet, barefoot inside ballet flats, while the sock-clad group walks onto the sheet. Great, I thought, I've been here five minutes and already I'm about to gravely offend everyone here to worship.
Imam Abdullah greets students at the door. "Thank you for joining us, Stephanie," he says, addressing me by name along with the other students. He tells me I can participate or observe, whatever makes me feel comfortable.
Staring at my would-be bare feet, I take the opportunity to collapse in a chair towards the middle of the room. Soon I notice an all-too-familiar smell, and I turn around to see 10 Domino's pizza boxes being placed on the tables for after the prayer session.
A local imam leads the seated group, which ends up being about 50 people, mostly undergraduates and grad students with some adults from the community.
After some initial praying, the imam spoke about Islam, and, because I am not Muslim, I appreciated how accessible the service was to all students. Different imams lead the Jummah each week, providing a range of insights for the group of students who have various levels of religious involvement and observance.
As with the other campus religious services I've attended, this one too ended with student announcements, including weekend trips to a soup kitchen and a Habitat for Humanity project. Afterwards, the students rise slowly and start talking to friends while they put their shoes back on. The pizza boxes quickly get opened. Small talk and eating-now this I can do.
Several students introduce themselves and offer me pizza. Some had read my column before, and the same person who had asked if I needed help earlier, a graduate student studying political theory, mentioned my article about Shabbat at the Freeman Center.
I'm told that last year Jummah was held in the multicultural center in the Bryan Center. A student told me he was thrilled that they now had a bigger and more accommodating space.
Also new is the Muslim Life at Duke building, located on Swift Avenue near the Freeman Center for Jewish Life. On a campus where group space is a prized possession, the designation of a specific building for Muslim life speaks volumes about the University's support for the organization.
As I leave the York Room that Friday afternoon, I realize Imam Abdullah has succeeded in creating a cohesive community among students, most notably, one that is welcoming to all. Though I know the Muslim Student Association existed before Imam Abdullah's arrival at Duke, his engaging leadership provides an organized and inspired structure of Muslim support and community.
Stephanie Butnick is a Trinity senior. Her column runs every other Wednesday.
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