Our Vision
To provide the best Muslim Life experience in higher education
The Center for Muslim Life (CML) at Duke provides a welcoming environment for students to explore Muslim identity, celebrate Muslim and Islamic cultures, build community, and engage with Islam in spiritual, social, and intellectual ways. Through the combined efforts of our staff, which includes an Office Coordinator, Student Development Coordinator, Muslim Chaplain, and Program Associate, the CML strives to attend to the needs of the diverse community of Muslim students at Duke. Muslim Life at Duke aims to create a space where Muslims from marginalized communities feel welcome and are cared for.
In addition to programming that deals with issues in Muslim communities, we organize a variety of activities and events related to interfaith, community service, and social justice and activism and offer mentorship and student leadership development. CML’s programming creates spaces for students, staff, faculty, and community members to discuss issues related to faith, identity, spirituality, and activism.
Our Mission
The CML helps to bridge the faith and values of Muslim students with their Duke education. We create an environment for Muslims to flourish by enriching understandings of Islam through meaningful engagement with students, faculty, staff and alumni.
The CML provides a home away from home for students, staff, faculty, and community members who seek an inclusive Muslim community at Duke. If you haven't visited the Center for Muslim Life yet, we invite you to come check us out: watch a movie on our flat-screen TV, play games from our collection, host a study group, or join us for some of our scheduled programming. Our doors are always open!
Our Story
Over the past 13 years, the Center for Muslim Life has served as the hub for Muslim Life at Duke, a home away from home for students, families, staff, faculty, and community members. The story of the Center for Muslim Life begins in 1998, when Imam Abdul Hafeez Waheed volunteered as the first Muslim Chaplain at Duke. As chaplain, Imam Waheed helped to organize and conduct Islamic religious services on campus and advocate for the needs of Muslim students at Duke, particularly a call for a space to pray and call home.
Our Staff
Joshua Salaam
Director and Chaplain
Contact him for chaplain services, mentorship, support, and all things Center for Muslim Life!
Imam Abdul Hafeez Waheed
Program Associate
Contact him for information about graduating students, alumni, and more!
Hadeel Hamoud
Program Coordinator
Contact her for information about programming, student mentoring, support, and more!
A Message From the Chaplain
Is it possible to learn about different faiths, political ideologies, and cultures, without trying to be right or prove others wrong? Can we try to understand before insisting to be understood? At the Center for Muslim Life, we want the answers to both of these questions to be…YES!! I believe that humanity’s differences have been strategically designed to provide us an opportunity to learn from one another (Qur’an 49:13). We all have the ability to expand our knowledge and horizon by getting to know each other. The Muslim world is very diverse, and that diversity is present here at Duke. One of the main things I learned in seminary is that it is possible to strengthen one’s own beliefs and opinions while exploring others. The anger and hate that lives in our conversations can be replaced with love and compassion. Our differences can be appreciated, and sometimes even celebrated, instead of aggressively trying to convert and change others. We look forward to working with others who agree with this philosophy. And we’re excited to learn from those who do not. The doors of the Center for Muslim Life at Duke University are open to all. God Bless you.
Our Impact
The CML Annual Report highlights the impact we've made on the Duke community each year.
2021-2022
Building a community of Muslim leaders for tomorrow
2022-2023
Coming soon!