Duke University will sound The Muslim call to prayer

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http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/15/us/duke-call-to-prayer/index.html


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.

"As Christianity is being excluded from the public square and followers of Islam are raping, butchering, and beheading Christians, Jews, and anyone who doesn't submit to their Sharia Islamic law, Duke is promoting this in the name of religious pluralism," he wrote. "I call on the donors and alumni to withhold their support from Duke until this policy is reversed."

The post has been shared tens of thousands of times.

Many of the comments came from readers who view the decision as the university giving Muslims privileges not afforded to Christians.

"When did Christians end up being the bad guys!" Nancy Kain Walls wrote on the page, offering a sentiment shared by many other posters. "Political correctness is going to destroy this country. God help us."

But others praised Duke and urged restraint.

"STOP SPREADING HATE" wrote one woman.

Another, April Haynes, wrote "Duke has not taken away their Christian or Catholic services. What a ridiculous post."

On Twitter, a similar back-and-forth played out.

"Duke University is going to start airing Muslim prayer over speakers every Friday, do they display the 10 commandments on campus also?," tweeted @Jami_USA

On the other side were those congratulating the school.

"Very proud and happy that I work at Duke," tweeted Li-Chen Chin.
 
Why would anyone have a problem with that? Its not like they are forcing all students to stop what they are doing and pray along.
 
I support Duke's decision since they are a university to include all faiths.

That being said, I am not a religious person. All religions are the same to me.
 
Your thoughts?

I don't go to Duke.
I don't have any students who go to Duke.
I don't live in Durham, NC.

So I don't care. No skin off my nose.

If I did go to Duke or lived in the area, my only concern would be whether the call would be loud enough to be irritating/distracting. It doesn't seem like it would be, since it's only going to be "moderately amplified".

Franklin Graham, I believe, should be asking his father what this thoughts are and take that into consideration before opening his mouth again. Then again, I believe he should do that about all issues.

Those that think it's a "Muslim prayer" really don't understand or are purposely lying. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adhan As others have said, it's more like ringing the bell in the bell tower, only with voices. Here's the Sunni version, as far as I understand it:

Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest.
Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest.
Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest.
Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest.
I bear witness that there is no God but Allah.
I bear witness that there is no God but Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Hasten to worship.
Hasten to worship.
Hasten to success.
Hasten to success.
Prayer is better than sleep.
Prayer is better than sleep.
Allah is greatest.
Allah is greatest.
There is no God but Allah.

That's not a prayer. It's a statement. And even if it is a prayer, Duke is a private college, so there's no church/state ramifications here.

While non-Abrahamic religious people (as well as agnostics or atheists) may find this insulting (remember Allah = Jehovah, so, in essence, a Jew or Christian should agree with all the statements except maybe the ones about Muhammad), I doubt this will be spoken in English.
 
I think it's kind of intrusive, to be honest. Blaring something for 3 minutes? Are any of the other religions on campus so in your face? I doubt it. I'm a fan of time and a place for religion - the place being whatever your house of worship is.

I can't disagree with a quote from the article - political correctness will be the death of this country.
 
Im ok with it. I mean, the church bells ring on Sunday there, right?

This is my thoughts. It's a private university so whether or not religion is included is their choice. If they're going to include religion, I'd much rather see a come one, come all attitude about it.
 
If this was a simple ringing of the bells or the sound of a horn, I would have no problem. However this call to worship is a chant of religious doctrine and should not be done unless other faiths can do the same.
 
I think it's kind of intrusive, to be honest. Blaring something for 3 minutes? Are any of the other religions on campus so in your face? I doubt it. I can't disagree with a quote from the article - political correctness will be the death of this country.

I wouldn't imagine it's any more intrusive than ringing church bells. I've heard the call to prayer actually 'blaring' so that the entire city can here throughout different countries and unless you were right near the mosque it wasn't that intrusive. I highly doubt the 'slightly amplified' version at Duke will be that in your face.

I agree with you and the article about Political Correctness, but I think far too many people confuse humanity and tolerance as "political correctness"
 
Im ok with it. I mean, the church bells ring on Sunday there, right?

For three minutes at a time?

I think it's kind of intrusive, to be honest. Blaring something for 3 minutes? Are any of the other religions on campus so in your face? I doubt it. I'm a fan of time and a place for religion - the place being whatever your house of worship is.

I can't disagree with a quote from the article - political correctness will be the death of this country.

I agree.
 
If this was a simple ringing of the bells or the sound of a horn, I would have no problem. However this call to worship is a chant of religious doctrine and should not be done unless other faiths can do the same.

The ringing of the bells is a call to worship as well. The fact that there is no verbal chant makes no difference in what the purpose of those bells is.
 
The ringing of the bells is a call to worship as well. The fact that there is no verbal chant makes no difference in what the purpose of those bells is.

There is a difference between hearing sounds and being forced to listen to religious prayers or doctrine. Imagine if Christians on campus wanted to chant something like Jesus Christ is the way and the truth and the light and all others are false gods and false prophets.
 
I wouldn't imagine it's any more intrusive than ringing church bells. I've heard the call to prayer actually 'blaring' so that the entire city can here throughout different countries and unless you were right near the mosque it wasn't that intrusive. I highly doubt the 'slightly amplified' version at Duke will be that in your face. I agree with you and the article about Political Correctness, but I think far too many people confuse humanity and tolerance as "political correctness"

Since church bells come from a church, typically on a day without class, it doesn't bother me. If the call was coming from a mosque it wouldn't bother me.

I think the place for religion is in their house of worship. Obviously, that not always possible in a personal level, but at that point, it doesn't involve or include everyone else.

I lean more along the line of people using 'humanity and tolerance' as a guise for political correctness or going overboard in their inclusion. As if their trying to single handedly make up for all the injustices in the world.
 
There is a difference between hearing sounds and being forced to listen to religious prayers or doctrine. Imagine if Christians on campus wanted to chant something like Jesus Christ is the way and the truth and the light and all others are false gods and false prophets.

Are they not allowed to do that? Would they be thrown off campus for doing it? Doubtful. Nobody is forcing them not too, Christians worship in a different way than Muslims. So what.
 
Are they not allowed to do that? Would they be thrown off campus for doing it? Doubtful. Nobody is forcing them not too, Christians worship in a different way than Muslims. So what.

This is just my opinion, but if students went to Duke administration and asked to recite the Lord's Prayer or John 3:16 in the same amplified way as the call to prayer, my guess is it wouldn't happen. I have no proof or facts to support this, it's just my opinion.

I think the difference is, it's Duke who is sounding the call to prayer--not a mosque. Is it the university who rings church bells on Sunday or a church on or near Duke?
 
Are they not allowed to do that? Would they be thrown off campus for doing it? Doubtful. Nobody is forcing them not too, Christians worship in a different way than Muslims. So what.

Ringing a bell or sounding a horn is like an alarm clock going off. Most church bells simply ring the time like a clock. I think allowing broadcast prayer like this is inconsiderate of students if other faiths and belongs in a house of worship not on the campus lawn. If other faiths can do the same (don't know if they can) how far does it go? Can Christians state that Allah and Mohammed are false subjects of worship and only Jesus Christ should be followed?
 
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