Duke University Cancels Plans for Muslim Call to Prayer

Duke University has canceled plans to use the school's famous chapel bell tower for a weekly, amplified Muslim call to prayer.

The university was set to broadcast a weekly call to prayer, also known as adhan, on its campus starting Jan. 16, but said Thursday they reconsidered the plan.

Before Duke reversed its decision, Franklin Graham spoke out against its plan to allow the Muslim call to prayer be broadcast from the school’s chapel tower. Click to hear those comments

"Duke remains committed to fostering an inclusive, tolerant and welcoming campus for all of its students," Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, said. "However, it was clear that what was conceived as an effort to unify was not having the intended effect."

Duke, which was founded in the late 19th century, was founded by Methodists and Quakers and its divinity school has historically been connected to the United Methodist Church. The possibility of the call to prayer broadcast outraged some in the Christian community.

Evangelist Franklin Graham blasted the school over the Muslim call to prayer.

"As Christianity is being excluded from the public square and followers of Islam are raping, butchering, and beheading Christians, Jews, and anyone who doesn't submit to their Sharia Islamic law, Duke is promoting this in the name of religious pluralism," Graham said Wednesday.

Graham urged Duke alumni to withhold support because of Muslim violence against Christians.

Under the canceled plan, members of the school's Muslim Students Association would have recited the call lasting about three minutes from the bell tower.

Meanwhile, various Christian denominations hold prayer and worship services in the chapel. The school also allows Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists to hold services on campus.

Graham later said the university made the right decision to cancel the prayer.