Topic: Time is of the Essence
Time management is one of those topics that we could never hear enough about. The talk relates to increasing productivity and curbing time wastage in our life. The last part of the talk deals with technology related items and a few suggestions on how to avoid developing withdrawal symptoms.
Khutba: Oct. 9, 2009
Princeton University
Faraz Khan
Thinking Anew:
Muslim Chaplains on Campus Bridging the Gap
By Faraz Khan
The MSA and mosque are two of the oldest Muslim institutions that have inspired many institution-building projects in the US. Muslim chaplaincy on campus is one of those phenomena that have developed in cooperation with MSA work in the last few years. Although a precise number of college chaplains remain in flux, there are about thirty dedicated individuals who have been on the forefront of campus chaplaincy. These chaplains are pioneers – a conglomerate of a very diverse and unique representation of American Islam. As a former Muslim chaplain at Rutgers University, I want to bring my readers up to par with the idea of Muslim chaplaincy on campuses across America.
CHAPLAINCY
Campus chaplaincy as I understand is competency in pastoral care, ministering, and counseling. A chaplain is a person who formulates a unique role as a religious leader, social worker, counselor, and is a staff or affiliate member of the university, able to act as a liaison between the administration and the students. However, a chaplain may or may not be a religious authority for example a “shaykh(a)” but s/he is knowledgeable on everyday practical religious issues. Ultimately, a chaplain is there to serve his/her constituents on a campus setting.
CULTURAL COMPETENCY
It is a known fact that many Muslim youth do find a communication gap with immigrant Imams and scholars. However, chaplains are able to fill that void due to their cultural competency. It has been my experience that these folks definitely know the culture of their respective institutions. Interestingly, not only do they understand their fellow Muslims but they can also associate with people of other faiths and are a source of solace to everyone. They are practitioners – bridge builders engaged in an active dialogue while remaining true to their faith. Chaplains give many talks on Islam but they are all-ears when it comes to student issues. I would very briefly mention the diverse background and skills of some of these chaplains to prove that each individual is a gem and an asset to the community in their own right.
WHO’S WHO?
Chaplain Taha Abdul-Basser, a Harvard alumnus and chaplain who has spent more than ten years in Islamic education is an expert in Islamic Finance and Arabic language. Chaplain Khalid Latif, an NYU alumnus and chaplain is a community builder with a $20 million dollar endowment vision. Chaplain Marwa Aly at Trinity and Wesleyan is a first-rated speech writer and excels in personal development programs for her students. Chaplain Abdullah Antepli at Duke is known for his charming “Turkish delight” personality and ability to engage students and faculty on many issues pertaining to Islam. Chaplain Najiba Akbar is passionate about counseling and social work with deep roots as an alumna and chaplain at Wellesley. Chaplain Naila Baloch has experience in a cross-culture work in Pakistan and the US, serving her community at Tufts. Chaplain David Coolidge at Darmouth and Omer Bajwa at Yale are known for their openness and prolific intellectual writings. Chaplain Sohaib Sultan is committed to building a comprehensive Muslim life program at Princeton. Chaplain David Fricke at Rutgers and Suheil Laher at MIT are well-experienced and have been committed to chaplaincy for a decade. Chaplain Tahera Ahmad is a bona fide Quran reciter and has used innovative role playing programs at Mount Holyoke. Chaplain Mary Lahaj at Simmons plays an active role in her community and does not shy away from dialogue. Lastly, Chaplain Salahuddin Muhammad at Bard maintains a focus on religion as actually practiced, rather than a superficial gesture of a good will. By all means, this is not an exhaustive list of chaplains but only a short insight into the world of college chaplaincy.
LOOKING AHEAD
I believe that as the Muslim community learns more about chaplaincy, better communication between local mosques and campuses will be established. The Muslim community needs to prioritize a commitment to college chaplaincy to establish a better representation of Islam in America. Needless to say, I am very optimistic about the future of chaplaincy. In a short time, Muslim chaplains have bolstered another institutional dimension to Islam in America.
support Islamic Center of New York University
Friday, May 29th @ 7 pm The Rose Garden 911 Arena Drive, Hamilton, NJ
Tickets: $10/Individuals, $30/Family
Speakers:
Imam Khalid Latif
Haroon Moghul
Zainab Wasti
Mehak Jamil
Nabil Mallick
______________________________
The Islamic Center at NYU serves the Muslim population at New York University, a private institution of higher education and research located in lower Manhattan, and falls within the Division of Student Affairs. Unlike most university-based Muslim organizations that are student run, the Islamic Center at NYU is overseen by the Office of the Muslim Chaplain and its volunteer staff and shares in NYU’s 501(c)(3) tax-exemption/non-profit status. Inspired by the idea that America’s Muslim community will best develop in a supportive environment, the Islamic Center has not only seen tremendous increase in membership but has motivated its constituents to find new ways of harnessing their resources and expanding their relationships with the wider community. Today’s Islamic Center caters to a wide and growing audience, reaching not only Muslims in New York City but also individuals from other communities. The Islamic Center at NYU is dedicated to fostering a sense of awareness, activism and scholarship amongst the Muslim community both on and off campus. ______________________________
If I had a $1,000,000, I would donate to Islamic Center of New York University.
Here’s the reason why!
Recently Imam Khalid Latif, Executive Director and Chaplain for the Islamic Center at NYU, was featured in a short documentary on Current TV. Please visit the Current TV website to post a comment on the video by clicking here
Islam in the NYPD
http://current.com/items/89995772_islam-in-the-nypd.htm
Khalid Latif is the Imam, or Muslim leader, for the NYPD. He is the youngest police chaplain in the history of the NYPD, and the only Muslim leader on the entire state force. This pod will take you into a day of his life.
ISLAM: Faith of Reason
Special Guest Speaker:
Faraz Khan, Rutgers Alumni
Free Period 2:30pm
April 15th, 2009
.: LOVESTRUCK :.
(((audio)))
Warning: This is not your routine lecture on Marriage in Islam!
Searching for Love in Islam
Special Guest: Br Faraz Khan
Monday Feb 16th, 2009
And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect.
Rutgers-Newark MSA
Here’s a lecture on love, relationship, and Islam. I have been thinking about this topic from a youth’s perspective i.e. all of the challenges that come with gender relations. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. In this lecture I am talking to college students about making sense of Dos and Dont’s of Islam and “love”.