Duke University will sound The Muslim call to prayer

[The Mystery Machine]

If the bells ring for church services on Sunday, they can certainly ring for prayer. There should be a meeting place too, if there are meeting places for other faiths.

Good for Duke.

It is a singing chant and not a bell, fyi.

I went to You Tube and listened and I found it beautiful. I could meditiate or do yoga to this.

Then again, I listen to Tibetan bowls, Gregorian chants, pan flute, and so on. Even though I am not religious, I find the music, study, ceremonies, opinions, etc.. very interesting.

 

[declansdad]

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.

There is no difference, they are both calls to prayer.

That is the problem with society, many people are so inflexible they create problems where no exist. I'm not talking about political correctness, that has gone way too far. But a little understanding of each other would be a great place to start.

 

[aaarcher86]

I have lived in the middle east and I can tell you these chants are more than bell ringing. If I went to Duke and heard the chants it would cause me great discomfort and I would not be very happy. Basically, it's very traumatizing for me and I know other females that would feel the same. I say let them meet and do their prayer, but no chanting. If the bells have to go ... then let them go.

Your post prompted me to look up the call to prayer.

I'd agree - it's very different than bell ringing.

 

[gwynne]

Your post prompted me to look up the call to prayer.

I'd agree - it's very different than bell ringing.

Yes it is different.

Link below gives a better idea of what will be broadcasted:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adhan

 

[DopeyDame]

Yes it is different.

]

And is different inherently bad?
Let's remember this is THREE MINUTES PER WEEK. Surely most people can handle almost anything for three minutes a week.

I am reminded of the mob from Beauty and the Beast: "We don't like what we can't understand, because it scares us."

 

[gwynne]

And is different inherently bad?

I am reminded of the mob from Beauty and the Beast: "We don't like what we can't understand, because it scares us."

You mentioned "bad". I didn't.

It's different than bells. That's a fact. No judgement on whether that's good or bad.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

If I went to Duke and heard the chants it would cause me great discomfort and I would not be very happy. Basically, it's very traumatizing for me and I know other females that would feel the same.

Why?

 

[DopeyDame]

You mentioned "bad". I didn't.

It's different than bells. That's a fact. No judgement on whether that's good or bad.

Fair enough! I made the (probably unfair) assumption that you were arguing that they shouldn't allow it because it's different than bells.

 

[Wendy31]

I have lived in the middle east and I can tell you these chants are more than bell ringing.

If I went to Duke and heard the chants it would cause me great discomfort and I would not be very happy. Basically, it's very traumatizing for me and I know other females that would feel the same.

I say let them meet and do their prayer, but no chanting. If the bells have to go ... then let them go.

I went to youtube & listened to a Muslim Call to Prayer.

It's very different than bell ringing, & I could see how it could be traumatizing to some people.

Yes it is different.

Link below gives a better idea of what will be broadcasted:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adhan

According to that link, the Call to Prayer is basically the Muslim Statement of Faith which is the 1st of the 5 Tenants of Islam.

Like others have said, the Call to Prayer is akin to Christians getting together & reciting or singing John 3:16.

Bells are just bells, but this Call to Prayer is quite different.

 

[gwynne]

Fair enough! I made the (probably unfair) assumption that you were arguing that they shouldn't allow it because it's different than bells.

I don't have an opinion on whether it should be done or not. Duke is a private University. It's their call.

 

[DopeyDame]

Bells are just bells, but this Call to Prayer is quite different.

The bells at the church I mentioned above don't just ring, they play a song. It's not words, but to anyone familiar with classical music it's clearly Christian (and often uniquely Catholic, given that Ave Maria and other Marian music is often played).

And even if you are comparing "just bells" So what? It's an incredibly easy way to help some of the students on campus live their faith.

For those that say it would be traumatizing, I'm legitimately asking why? Clearly if there is some specific life story about a traumatic event, then that makes sense. But sadly there will always be people traumatized by specific things and people who will need to avoid specific things because of their own personal history. And for those, they know from 1 - 1:03 on Fridays, they should make sure they are inside a building.

For the other 99+% of people on the campus who don't have a specific traumatic event related to that call to prayer, how is it traumatizing? And isn't a large reason one goes to college to be exposed to new ideas?

 

[aaarcher86]

I don't have an opinion on whether it should be done or not. Duke is a private University. It's their call.

That's really what it boils down to. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[Art 1]

People would be up in arms if the bells rang for the Angelus 3 times daily on campus.

 

[DopeyDame]

People would be up in arms if the bells rang for the Angelus 3 times daily on campus.

First, I don't believe they would.

Second, they aren't doing the call five times a day, they are doing it once a week. Just as they already do once a week for call to Christian services. (I'm actually guessing it's more than once a week, since I assume there are bells before an Episcopalian service, a Catholic mass, etc. But I don't know that for sure.)

 

[aaarcher86]

People would be up in arms if the bells rang for the Angelus 3 times daily on campus.

True, but the call to prayer isn't happening 3x daily either. It's once, one day a week. Not really a fair comparison.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Islamophobia run amuck.

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.

Islam uses a call, Christians use bells, both from a tower. A call to prayer is a call to prayer.

People would be up in arms if the bells rang for the Angelus 3 times daily on campus.

The call is once a week. Also on Fridays the carillon plays Dear Old Duke. I wonder how long and how loud that is.

The carillon also plays daily and before and after Sunday services. With a carillon, "plays" is a lot more than a bell ringing several times. Since they play songs, I'll bet the daily concert is more hand three minutes"

 

[okeydokey]

Has anyone been on a large college campus lately?

They are not "quiet" places generally.
The call will be no less intrusive than any other sounds and noises on Dukes campus.

Non issue.

Colleges are often the place where norms are challenged, as they should be. It is very often the youngster who lead social change.

Good for Duke

Truthfully I think after a month, most folks walking around campus will barely notice.

I know of a large university that has a "Free Speech" zone and there is often a man there who yells quite loudly about religious matters. So loudly you can hear it inside neighboring buildings. And for a lot longer than three minutes.

 

[pryncess527]

I know of a large university that has a "Free Speech" zone and there is often a man there who yells quite loudly about religious matters. So loudly you can hear it inside neighboring buildings. And for a lot longer than three minutes.

Yep! Brickyard preachers have been an accepted part of every public University campus I've ever set foot on. And while I find the horrible, incendiary things they yell (not to mention the large posterboard images they tend to display) to be vile, disgusting, and probably traumatizing for many, it does not change their right to be there, saying those things I find vile and hateful. He used to get to spend his entire afternoon right outside my office window, I got to hear him rant for HOURS at a time. He could be heard in classrooms as well.

FWIW, we also have one on my current campus who is very nice. So not all brickyard preachers are of the incendiary, fire & brimestone nature -- but based on my experience, 9 out of 10 are . . .

 

[gottaluvPluto]

Why?

Because of my experience with islam as a female living in the middle east.

 

[LisaR]

I lived in a predominantly Muslim area for awhile and this was quite common around town. Right before I moved, they built a new mosque and the call to pray was SO LOUD! It caused quite an uproar. I was in the process of moving, but I believe they did eventually make them turn down the volume. No biggie.

My DD goes to a medium sized public college. There is a guy who makes his rounds to the public universities, stands in the common area with a bullhorn and screams his strange interpretation of the Bible: all of the kids are sinners, they are all going to hell, the gays are ruining everything with their sinning, etc, etc, etc. If this type of nonsense is allowed and can't be stopped, three minutes of prayer once a week shouldn't be an issue on an active campus where so much is already going on.