Duke’s Muslim chaplain Abdullah Antepli will give the opening prayer for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., this Wednesday at 10 a.m.
The prayer is sponsored by Rep. David Price, D-N.C. An intimate reception was held Friday in the Divinity School to honor Antepli.
“This invitation is not just to me, but to Duke University in appreciation of its success in understanding diversity and looking toward the future and not the past,” Antepli said. “I am so humbled to be part of this.”
Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta called the invitation a “booster shot” for Duke’s ongoing mission of building a sense of understanding and community among Muslim students.
“Although never intentional or mean-spirited, estrangement, alienation and intimidation can happen on campus, but the appearance of a Muslim imam in Congress will lift the heavy burdens in the hearts and minds of Muslims,” Antepli said. “We know that we are heard, respected, appreciated and acknowledged.”
The practice of opening the House in prayer began in 1774 with the first Continental Congress. Each member of congress can recommend one religious leader per session. The representative gives a short speech to introduce the guest chaplain, who then delivers the opening prayer of about 150 words. After submitting four drafts to Congress for approval last week, Antepli condensed his prayer from 275 to 188 words.
“I want the prayer to be as rich and meaningful as possible, which is a challenge in 150 words,” he said. “I will be praying primarily for Congress because the decisions made under that roof affect the whole world. I will pray to God Almighty to grant the members success in what they do.”
Antepli added that he believes in the divine power of prayer to spark change in society.
“Symbolically, prayer acknowledges that we can do everything we can, but at the end, there is a limit to man’s ability to achieve without divine help,” he said.
Antepli will stay in Washington, D.C. from Monday to Friday, conducting interviews with the media and meeting with think tank organizations to discuss Islam in higher education. As a Turkish, Sunni Muslim, Antepli became the first full-time imam at Duke in July 2008. He played an integral role in establishing the Center for Muslim Life later that year. He also teaches Islamic courses in the Divinity School, supervises the Muslim Student Association and leads the Faith Council of the Duke Chapel.
“Abdullah has a lot of energy and is pulled in many directions, but he makes it seem effortless,” said Zoila Airall, assistant vice president for student affairs. “I always remind him, ‘Abdullah, Rome was not built in a day,’ to make sure he tempers his efforts.”
Co-President of MSA Nabila Haque, a junior, said Antepli has been instrumental in uniting the 500 Muslims on campus, who all subscribe to varying beliefs. MSA holds three to four events per week—including study circles, Quran discussions and weekly meetings—that cater to both liberal and conservative Muslims.
“I’ve seen the evolution of MSA while I’ve been here, and it’s become much more organized, established and nonjudgmental,” said Sarah Zubairy, a fifth-year graduate student in economics. “Abdullah is a representative who can speak on our behalf, but he is very interfaith.”
Antepli and MSA have focused on civic engagement and outreach this year. Besides reaching out to Muslim students, Antepli has made efforts to connect with the entire student body, said Fatema Ahmad, Pratt ’09 and a former president of MSA. She added that he fosters awareness and understanding about Islam and its teachings without being overbearing.
“Given the mischaracterization of the Muslim community based on the acts of extremists, it must be very hard sometimes to be publicly recognized as Muslim,” Moneta said. “Abdullah has been able to demonstrate how generous, loving and gentle the Muslim community really is.”
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