海角大神

Duke University announced Tuesday they would begin a campus-wide weekly Within 48 hours, after much public outcry, the university reversed its decision.

鈥淒uke remains committed to fostering an inclusive, tolerant and welcoming campus for all of its students,鈥� Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, stated in a press release. 鈥淗owever, it was clear that what was conceived as an effort to unify was not having the intended effect.鈥�

The 鈥渁dhan,鈥� or call to prayer, was set to take place every Friday and be amplified through the Duke University Chapel bell tower. A male member of the Muslim Students Association would chant the traditional call to signal the beginning of the organization鈥檚 prayer service. The prayer lasts about three minutes. While the prayer will still take place, it will no longer be amplified across campus. Rather, the prayer will take place in a non-amplified fashion on the quadrangle outside the Chapel. According to Duke, 700 of their 15,000 students and about 100 attend the weekly prayer service.

Why did Duke鈥檚 effort for religious inclusivity draw such a strong response?

The debate that arose on social media was fast and furious. Some students applauded the university for the development, but many quickly rejected the idea of a public broadcast. In light of the recent attack on Charlie Hebdo and religious tensions around the world, the motives for not just Duke鈥檚 announcement but the timing of the announcement were called into question.

Franklin Graham, president of international relief organization Samaritan鈥檚 Purse and the son of evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, viewed the announcement as a personal attack on 海角大神ity. Amid the rapidly spreading hashtag #boycottduke, , where his call to withhold support from Duke was shared over 77,000 times.

鈥淎s 海角大神ity is being excluded from the public square and followers of Islam are raping, butchering, and beheading 海角大神s, Jews, and anyone who doesn鈥檛 submit to their Sharia Islamic law, Duke is promoting this in the name of religious pluralism. I call on the donors and alumni to withhold their support from Duke until this policy is reversed.鈥�

Mr. Schoenfeld said one of the reasons for the university鈥檚 decision to reverse the call to prayer was due to a 鈥渟erious and credible鈥� security threat, according to The Washington Post. Omid Safi, director of Duke鈥檚 Islamic Studies Center, said 鈥�, faculty, and staff鈥� were made, and that the school is treating the 鈥渆xternal鈥� threats as a 鈥渃riminal matter.鈥� He continued to say that Muslim students are 鈥渟cared and disappointed,鈥� and have been advised not to identify themselves.

Ibrahim Hooper with the Council on American-Islamic Relations feels that Duke鈥檚 decision will only perpetuate negative feelings towards Islam in the US.

鈥淚t sends a message of intolerance,鈥� he said in . 鈥淚t sends a message that Duke is willing to bow to bigotry and intolerance. The American Muslim community feels targeted by this Islamaphobia we see online, on newspapers, on TV.鈥�

Duke will continue to support its Muslim students through their weekly prayer as they meet outside the Chapel, a location where many interfaith activities take place.

鈥淥ur Muslim community enriches the university ,鈥� said Schoenfeld. 鈥淲e welcome the active expression of their faith tradition, and all others, in ways that are meaningful and visible.鈥�