Duke Muslim Alumni Newsletter | June 2019

Duke Muslim Alumni NewsletterDuke Muslim Alumni Newsletter

"And say, 'My Lord, increase me in my knowledge."(20:114)

You are receiving this newsletter as someone registered as a Muslim by the Duke AlumniAssociation. If you want to keep receiving these newsletters and stay updated on DukeMuslim Alumni news and programming through the Center for Muslim Life, please use thelink below to sign up to the alumni mailing list!

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NEWS & EVENTS

A lumni LuncheonA lumni Luncheon

Duke Muslim Alumni held their first luncheonon April 13th during Alumni Weekend.About fifty alumni representing six decadesof graduates attended. Lunch was cateredby a local halal Peruvian restaurant. Severalalumni reminisced about the days whenthey had to drive out of town for halalrestaurants and go off campus for jummah.Now, there are over ten restaurants inDurham that serve halal meat, and twojummahs on campus. Chaplain JoshuaSalaam, Imam Abdul Waheed, Safa Kaleem(T'16 MD '21), Professor Omid Safi (T ’92 G

’98 ’00), Noor Tasnim (T ‘18), ProfessorSalman Azhar (G ’90 ‘94), and othersconnected with the attendees through talksand activities. The gathering concluded byalumni working in small groups to bond witheach other and find ways to reconnect withother alumni.

See more photos from the luncheon here.

MSA Senior BanquetMSA Senior Banquet

During graduation weekend, the MSA heldtheir annual Senior Banquet to celebrateMSA seniors. Staff, family, and friendsattended while graduating students inattendance were presented with stoles andgifts from the MSA and the Muslim AlumniAssociation. We are so excited to welcomeour newest batch of Duke Muslim Alumni!

See more photos from the banquet here.

Introducing Maryam A rainIntroducing Maryam A rain

The Center for Muslim Life is proud to announce thehiring of our new Student Development Coordinator,

Maryam Arain. A graduate of Dartmouth College andthe University of London's School of Oriental andAfrican Studies, Maryam brings with her a deep lovefor Muslims and Islam, a commitment to social justice,and a penchant for art and design.

Read more about Maryam here.

Now armed with a full staff for the first time in itshistory, including a full-time Chaplain, StudentDevelopment Coordinator, and Office Coordinator,along with a part-time Program Associate, the CML ismore ready than ever to provide support andprogramming for Muslim students at Duke!

Ramadan at the CMLRamadan at the CML

This Ramadan, the CML offered a nightlyprogram every Monday through Thursday,including iftars, lectures and presentationsfrom guest speakers, and 8-rakat taraweeh.Staff at the CML sent special invitations touniversity administration and Student Affairscolleagues to join us, and many - includingDean Sue and President Price - did!

See more photos from Ramadan at the CML here.

CHAPLAIN'S CORNER

As-salaamu-alaikum and Greetings of Peace,

I hope this newsletter reaches you in good health and spirits. I'm told this is the first yearthe Center for Muslim Life (CML) is officially reaching out to Muslim alumni. During this firstyear, your help and guidance are paramount to our success. I'm well aware that many ofyou graduated long before the CML office was created in 2008. Therefore, we need you toengage and communicate with us to share the best way we can serve you.

We want to recruit talented Muslims to Duke University with two promises. The first promiseis that we have a vibrant Muslim Life on campus. We have four people in our officededicated to serving the spiritual, emotional, social and other needs Muslim students mayhave. Our staff is working hard to ensure we keep this promise.

Duke students are coming from and going to all parts of the globe. Some of them may becoming to your city or a location nearby. Some of them have ideas, inventions and plansthat can change the world in which we live. We would like our second promise to be thatthere is an organized, established and loving community of Muslim alumni ready to receiveand help graduates enter their careers with all their hopes, dreams and aspirations.

Remember, the Muslim Alumni Association is not here just to mentor new graduates. Wewant you to have better networking opportunities with other alumni. Among you are CEOs,judges, writers, politicians, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, developers, and so muchmore. How can we come together to support one other and improve the world? Work withus and help the CML answer this question.

Sincerely,Chaplain Joshua Salaam

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Aqueelah Nafeesa Rasheed (TAqueelah Nafeesa Rasheed (T'99'99 ) celebrated her 20 yearanniversary as an alumna of DukeUniversity in May of this year. Sheearned her B.A. in Mathematics and aMinor in African-American Studies.She is a wife of 18 years and amother of three who has combinedher love for mathematics with herpassion for writing to self-publishMuslim Marriage Makeover: ModelingMuhammad the Prophet to MakeWaves in Your Marriage with theR.I.P.P.L.E. Effect (Mutual Respect,Intimacy, Partnership, Peace, Love &Equality). As a Duke Administrator

exclaimed, “It’s a literary equation!” Aqueelah hopes that theuniversal, faith-based, solution-oriented message within MuslimMarriage Makeover is one that will help to save families &communities, one marriage at a time. To order your copy ofMuslim Marriage Makeover and to see more detailed informationabout the book, please visit her website.

Do you knowsomeone who

should befeatured in our

next AlumniSpotlight?

Let us know!

NOMINATESOMEONE

Fatema Ahmad (P '09)Fatema Ahmad (P '09) is a former biomedical engineerturned community organizer who now serves as DeputyDirector of the Muslim Justice League in Boston. MJL organizesagainst the criminalization of communities seen as nationalsecurity threats, with a focus on fighting the CounteringViolent Extremism (CVE) surveillance programs. Shespearheads much of MJL's local organizing and advocacy work

and leads the national StopCVE network. Fatema is also heavilyinvolved in the #BosCops collective, where she works withother organizations and individuals on fighting abusive policingin and around Boston. She was previously an organizer inNorth Carolina with Muslims for Social Justice and the AmericanFriends Service Committee under the Communities AgainstIslamophobia project and she helped lead the Stop CVE atUNC campaign.

Fatema was co-president of the MSA at Duke during her senioryear and helped open the Center for Muslim Life!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Mark y our calendars!Mark y our calendars! Duke CML plans to host an event for Muslim alumni duringHomecoming weekend (Oct. 11-13) this fall. Keep your eye out for more information!

WAYS TO STAY CONNECTEDWAYS TO STAY CONNECTED

Follow Duke Muslim Alumni onsocial media: Join the Duke Muslim Alumni Facebook group.

Join the Duke Muslim Alumni Association groupthrough Duke OneLink.

Follow the Center for Muslim Life on social media: