{"id":241850,"date":"2018-07-10T12:00:12","date_gmt":"2018-07-10T16:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/?p=241850"},"modified":"2018-07-11T09:33:57","modified_gmt":"2018-07-11T13:33:57","slug":"a-qa-with-harvards-muslim-chaplain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2018\/07\/a-qa-with-harvards-muslim-chaplain\/","title":{"rendered":"Questions, answers with Harvard\u2019s Muslim chaplain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t
\"\"

"How do you treat people, and how do you advocate for good treatment?" Khalil Abdur-Rashid, Harvard's first full-time Muslim chaplain, says he seeks to help students "understand Islam as a lived experience."<\/p>

Stephanie Mitchell\/Harvard file photo<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tCampus & Community\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t

\n\t\tQuestions, answers with Harvard\u2019s Muslim chaplain\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\tNate Herpich\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\tHarvard Correspondent\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tKhalil Abdur-Rashid explains what he's found here, and where he\u2019d like to focus his ministry next\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\t\t

Khalil Abdur-Rashid was named Harvard\u2019s first full-time Muslim chaplain last July, bringing with him a strong foundation in civil rights, social work, higher education, and Islamic law and philosophy. Since choosing Islam as a youth, and embarking on a spiritual journey whose genesis began around the time of 9\/11, Abdur-Rashid has cultivated a strong, personal understanding of the African-American Muslim experience.<\/p>\n

The holder of master\u2019s of philosophy degrees in Islam and Middle Eastern studies, both from Columbia University, and an Islamic advanced doctorate (ijaaza ilmiyyah) in Islamic legal sciences and ethics from the ISAR Seminary in Istanbul, Abdur-Rashid is also nearing the completion of a doctorate in liberal studies, for which he is writing a history of the development of the African-American Muslim community, from the death of Malcolm X to the death of Muhammad Ali.<\/p>\n

But while his understanding of Islam is deeply steeped in rigorous academic inquiry, it is the imperative to help young people connect religious tradition to lived experience that largely drives his work at Harvard.<\/p>\n

Abdur-Rashid sat down with the Gazette to reflect on his first academic year, and to share his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the religious community on campus, and in particular for Muslim American students at Harvard.<\/p>\n

Q&A<\/h2>\n

Khalil Abdur-Rashid<\/h3>\n

GAZETTE:<\/strong> You\u2019re closing in on completing your first academic year here. How has your time been spent, thus far?<\/p>\n

ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> My first year was about doing everything I could to map out the landscape. It was about beginning to understand the culture of the University and the students\u2019 needs, both in terms of, generally speaking, students at the College, and also, more specifically, the Muslim students at the College and graduate schools. I\u2019ve also sought to understand what kinds of programs I can offer to best root the students in a sense of stability. This is so important in today\u2019s overwhelmingly changing social climate.<\/p>\n

GAZETTE:<\/strong> Talk more about the opportunity for a university to have a full-time Muslim chaplain. Why is this important to Harvard, and to the students themselves?<\/p>\n

ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> First and foremost, as President Drew Faust articulated in her rationale for creating this position, there was a matter of equality that needed to be addressed on behalf of Harvard\u2019s Muslim students. Historically, many have felt the sense of being marginalized, of being targeted, and of being left behind. There was a need for somebody to be able to speak to their concerns in a way that represented both the University and where those students were coming from. I\u2019m able to do this in a way that helps them better discover what it means to be a student of an American Muslim background. I can empathize with their feelings of being targeted or of feeling ashamed of their identity. And I can do these things in my role as a University representative, seeking to help those students to understand that they can be proud of who they are.<\/p>\n

GAZETTE:<\/strong> I imagine you draw on your experience for this work. You have your own unique story to tell as an American Muslim who chose his faith tradition at an early age.<\/p>\n

ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> Yes, I can very closely relate to these students. My own experience around a similar age challenged me to figure out what it means to be an American Muslim. I had just graduated from college on 9\/11, a traumatic experience and a major turning point for our nation and for Muslims living in America and abroad. But this was also a defining moment for me personally, because it took place at the time when I went on my own spiritual journey, and also when I went out into the real world. It was a lot to deal with all at once. A lot of these students are experiencing similar feelings of so much happening at the same time. They\u2019ve left the homes they grew up in and the families they grew up with. They\u2019re living in dormitories for the first time, getting exposed to different foods that their moms didn\u2019t cook. They\u2019ve arrived in Cambridge, which is in one sense a bubble, and which is in another sense one of the most diverse places on the planet. So much is new, and I seek to help guide them through this newness.<\/p>\n

Of course, I draw upon my own background and experiences in my work. My youth as an African-American growing up in the South, whose family was very much involved in the Civil Rights Movement, mixed with my own studies in Islam and my own spiritual journey in a post-9\/11 world, have afforded me the opportunity to look at the intersections of race and religion in an American context. These experiences have allowed me to explore the challenges that come with that intersection, and to learn how to rise above those challenges, and speak to those challenges, in a way that\u2019s authentic and gives hope.<\/p>\n\r\n

“They\u2019re living in dormitories for the first time, getting exposed to different foods that their moms didn\u2019t cook. They\u2019ve arrived in Cambridge, which is in one sense a bubble, and which is in another sense one of the most diverse places on the planet.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\n

GAZETTE:<\/strong> What are some of the specific challenges for Muslim students at Harvard?<\/p>\n

ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> The major consistent challenges that I\u2019ve seen since I\u2019ve been here come in two domains. The first domain, which affects mostly students at the College, is about \u201cWhat does Islam have to say about x, y, and z?\u201d For example, police brutality. Gender identity. Can I take Adderall to help me stay up at night to study?<\/p>\n

Many of these students grew up in a Muslim home, from a cultural background, and even a religious background, but it was never articulated to them how to be a Muslim in the worldly sense, outside of ritual. Now, in this environment, they have to think for themselves. They have to try to find answers. Sometimes they may come across things in class or when they\u2019re in dialogue with their peers that jar them, challenge them, and cause them to ask questions of themselves as to who they are and where they stand on these issues, not only as American students but as Muslim students. The American side of their brain might trigger one answer, but the Muslim identity might respond differently. Are they consistent? Are there divergences? What happens if the Muslim side says no or yes and the American side says no or yes, and they\u2019re in contradiction? How do I reconcile those two? Is it even possible? And then, how do I think about this whole notion of a dual consciousness? That\u2019s what I see at the level of the College.<\/p>\n

The second domain, which is more prevalent in the graduate Schools, is more about how to intersect Islam with a student\u2019s field of study and planned career path. It\u2019s about how do I \u201cinterdisciplinarize\u201d my faith with my work?<\/p>\n

Let me give you an example. A young woman from the Kennedy School came into my office the other day. She\u2019s a Muslim woman from an East Asian country, one year away from graduation, who told me she wants to go back to her country and become the first Muslim woman prime minister there. That was her goal. So her question to me was: What does Islam say about this, and how do I persuade the male-dominated culture that I come from that I should be prime minister? How do I work within an Islamic framework, using terminology and sources from the tradition, in a way that will resonate with Muslim clerics in her country, to the men in her country who are in parliament, and to those who would come to her website to learn more about her candidacy? Amazing, right?<\/p>\n

GAZETTE:<\/strong> Let\u2019s talk more about this \u201cinterdisciplinarization\u201d that you advocate for in your own work, because it reminds me of all of the diverse opportunities here at Harvard, the multitude of Schools, programs, activities, and perspectives that all make up this University, yet too often exist in silos. President Faust has spoken frequently about the importance of creating \u201cOne Harvard,\u201d and breaking down barriers across campus. Have you had any One Harvard moments in your first year, and how can your work serve to further this important mission?<\/p>\n

ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> The vision of One Harvard is absolutely reachable within the work that I do, and especially through collaborations with the 30-plus Harvard chaplains here. We believe, together, that this University is sending the message that Harvard is about making the world a better place. And we believe One Harvard is about utilizing all of our individual strengths to leverage our collective strength in hopes of reaching that goal. As chaplains, of course, we advocate for the religious, spiritual, and ethical life to supplement the intellectual life, that the human being is not just a robust intellectual being but a spiritual being as well.<\/p>\n

GAZETTE:<\/strong> But Harvard is often seen as a secular institution. How does spiritual life fit in here, and how does it complement the academic journey being undertaken by Harvard students?<\/p>\n

ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> In life, just like there\u2019s an IQ, there\u2019s also an SQ, a spiritual quotient, and I believe that both of those things need to be synchronized. I also believe that faith and spirituality matter here at Harvard. And they matter because they help students to learn the right thing to do in an environment where the right thing is often based in very restrictive settings \u2014 in a math class based on algorithms, or in a language class that\u2019s based on grammatical rules, or in another class that\u2019s based on the rules that the teacher has outlined.<\/p>\n

One of the things I do with both undergraduate and graduate students is give them a religious language to use that makes sense in the secular environment. And often that language is ethics. How do you treat people, and how do you advocate for good treatment? My work is less about helping students to understand Islam as a theological tradition. For most of these students, that\u2019s already a given. Instead, so many are looking for ways to translate the teachings that they know so well into a way that can be a part of their studies and their future professions. I seek to help them to understand Islam as a lived experience.<\/p>\n

GAZETTE:<\/strong> What are some of the programmatic offerings you\u2019re working on to help students to enhance their \u201cspiritual quotients\u201d?<\/p>\n

ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> I\u2019ve just finished putting together 10 programs that will be gradually introduced in phases over the next three years. These programs will be directed toward Muslim students, but also University-wide, open to everyone, even if they\u2019re not students of faith. There will be two programs this coming fall, the first of which is called \u201cLife Matters.\u201d \u201cLife Matters\u201d is an interview show where I speak with an esteemed faculty member or prestigious person who is a part of the Harvard community, and ask her or him to share certain aspects of their life story that no one would have known before. We\u2019ll discuss times when that person has faced a challenge, and how they\u2019ve used some aspect of faith or spiritual teachings, or even family teachings passed down, in their decision-making process in order to overcome those obstacles. We hope to have these shows available as podcasts for archive and for the benefit of future students and alumni.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll also have a program called \u201cFaith in Conversations,\u201d a roundtable discussion involving me and two or three distinguished members of the faith community at Harvard. The conversations will not be about commonalities, but instead we\u2019ll talk about our differences and how these differences can be used to get to know one another and eliminate blind spots that we have around each other.<\/p>\n

The whole idea is that narratives are very powerful, that when you get to know someone, this is what can break down walls. I\u2019m looking forward to partnering with Pastor Jonathan Walton of Memorial Church, and the Rev. Kathleen Reed, who is president of the Harvard chaplains, for the first program. I hope to start with the Abrahamic traditions, and then go into other traditions. I\u2019m very much looking forward to it.<\/p>\n

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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next","centeredImage":true,"className":"is-style-full-width-text-below","mediaHeight":1667,"mediaWidth":2500,"backgroundFixed":false,"backgroundTone":"light","coloredBackground":false,"displayOverlay":true,"fadeInText":false,"isAmbient":false,"mediaLength":"","mediaPosition":"","posterText":"","titleAbove":false,"useUncroppedImage":false,"lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"\" height=\"1667\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/061217_abdur-rashid_khalil_154.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">"How do you treat people, and how do you advocate for good treatment?" Khalil Abdur-Rashid, Harvard's first full-time Muslim chaplain, says he seeks to help students "understand Islam as a lived experience."<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Stephanie Mitchell\/Harvard file photo<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","innerContent":["<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"\" height=\"1667\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/061217_abdur-rashid_khalil_154.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">"How do you treat people, and how do you advocate for good treatment?" Khalil Abdur-Rashid, Harvard's first full-time Muslim chaplain, says he seeks to help students "understand Islam as a lived experience."<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Stephanie Mitchell\/Harvard file photo<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"],"rendered":"<header\n\tclass=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-article-header alignfull article-header is-style-full-width-text-below centered-image\"\n\tstyle=\" \"\n>\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"\" height=\"1667\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/061217_abdur-rashid_khalil_154.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">"How do you treat people, and how do you advocate for good treatment?" Khalil Abdur-Rashid, Harvard's first full-time Muslim chaplain, says he seeks to help students "understand Islam as a lived experience."<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Stephanie Mitchell\/Harvard file photo<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t<div class=\"article-header__content\">\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"article-header__category\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\tCampus & Community\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading \">\n\t\tQuestions, answers with Harvard\u2019s Muslim chaplain\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tNate Herpich\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tHarvard Correspondent\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2018-07-10\">\n\t\t\tJuly 10, 2018\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\tlong read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tKhalil Abdur-Rashid explains what he's found here, and where he\u2019d like to focus his ministry next\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n"},"2":{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"templateLock":false,"metadata":{"name":"Article content"},"align":"wide","layout":{"type":"constrained","justifyContent":"center"},"tagName":"div","lock":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\t\t<p>Khalil Abdur-Rashid was named Harvard\u2019s first full-time Muslim chaplain last July, bringing with him a strong foundation in civil rights, social work, higher education, and Islamic law and philosophy. Since choosing Islam as a youth, and embarking on a spiritual journey whose genesis began around the time of 9\/11, Abdur-Rashid has cultivated a strong, personal understanding of the African-American Muslim experience.<\/p>\n<p>The holder of master\u2019s of philosophy degrees in Islam and Middle Eastern studies, both from Columbia University, and an Islamic advanced doctorate (ijaaza ilmiyyah) in Islamic legal sciences and ethics from the ISAR Seminary in Istanbul, Abdur-Rashid is also nearing the completion of a doctorate in liberal studies, for which he is writing a history of the development of the African-American Muslim community, from the death of Malcolm X to the death of Muhammad Ali.<\/p>\n<p>But while his understanding of Islam is deeply steeped in rigorous academic inquiry, it is the imperative to help young people connect religious tradition to lived experience that largely drives his work at Harvard.<\/p>\n<p>Abdur-Rashid sat down with the Gazette to reflect on his first academic year, and to share his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the religious community on campus, and in particular for Muslim American students at Harvard.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q&A<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Khalil Abdur-Rashid<\/h3>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> You\u2019re closing in on completing your first academic year here. How has your time been spent, thus far?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> My first year was about doing everything I could to map out the landscape. It was about beginning to understand the culture of the University and the students\u2019 needs, both in terms of, generally speaking, students at the College, and also, more specifically, the Muslim students at the College and graduate schools. I\u2019ve also sought to understand what kinds of programs I can offer to best root the students in a sense of stability. This is so important in today\u2019s overwhelmingly changing social climate.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> Talk more about the opportunity for a university to have a full-time Muslim chaplain. Why is this important to Harvard, and to the students themselves?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> First and foremost, as President Drew Faust articulated in her rationale for creating this position, there was a matter of equality that needed to be addressed on behalf of Harvard\u2019s Muslim students. Historically, many have felt the sense of being marginalized, of being targeted, and of being left behind. There was a need for somebody to be able to speak to their concerns in a way that represented both the University and where those students were coming from. I\u2019m able to do this in a way that helps them better discover what it means to be a student of an American Muslim background. I can empathize with their feelings of being targeted or of feeling ashamed of their identity. And I can do these things in my role as a University representative, seeking to help those students to understand that they can be proud of who they are.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> I imagine you draw on your experience for this work. You have your own unique story to tell as an American Muslim who chose his faith tradition at an early age.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> Yes, I can very closely relate to these students. My own experience around a similar age challenged me to figure out what it means to be an American Muslim. I had just graduated from college on 9\/11, a traumatic experience and a major turning point for our nation and for Muslims living in America and abroad. But this was also a defining moment for me personally, because it took place at the time when I went on my own spiritual journey, and also when I went out into the real world. It was a lot to deal with all at once. A lot of these students are experiencing similar feelings of so much happening at the same time. They\u2019ve left the homes they grew up in and the families they grew up with. They\u2019re living in dormitories for the first time, getting exposed to different foods that their moms didn\u2019t cook. They\u2019ve arrived in Cambridge, which is in one sense a bubble, and which is in another sense one of the most diverse places on the planet. So much is new, and I seek to help guide them through this newness.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, I draw upon my own background and experiences in my work. My youth as an African-American growing up in the South, whose family was very much involved in the Civil Rights Movement, mixed with my own studies in Islam and my own spiritual journey in a post-9\/11 world, have afforded me the opportunity to look at the intersections of race and religion in an American context. These experiences have allowed me to explore the challenges that come with that intersection, and to learn how to rise above those challenges, and speak to those challenges, in a way that\u2019s authentic and gives hope.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n\t\t<p>Khalil Abdur-Rashid was named Harvard\u2019s first full-time Muslim chaplain last July, bringing with him a strong foundation in civil rights, social work, higher education, and Islamic law and philosophy. Since choosing Islam as a youth, and embarking on a spiritual journey whose genesis began around the time of 9\/11, Abdur-Rashid has cultivated a strong, personal understanding of the African-American Muslim experience.<\/p>\n<p>The holder of master\u2019s of philosophy degrees in Islam and Middle Eastern studies, both from Columbia University, and an Islamic advanced doctorate (ijaaza ilmiyyah) in Islamic legal sciences and ethics from the ISAR Seminary in Istanbul, Abdur-Rashid is also nearing the completion of a doctorate in liberal studies, for which he is writing a history of the development of the African-American Muslim community, from the death of Malcolm X to the death of Muhammad Ali.<\/p>\n<p>But while his understanding of Islam is deeply steeped in rigorous academic inquiry, it is the imperative to help young people connect religious tradition to lived experience that largely drives his work at Harvard.<\/p>\n<p>Abdur-Rashid sat down with the Gazette to reflect on his first academic year, and to share his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the religious community on campus, and in particular for Muslim American students at Harvard.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q&A<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Khalil Abdur-Rashid<\/h3>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> You\u2019re closing in on completing your first academic year here. How has your time been spent, thus far?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> My first year was about doing everything I could to map out the landscape. It was about beginning to understand the culture of the University and the students\u2019 needs, both in terms of, generally speaking, students at the College, and also, more specifically, the Muslim students at the College and graduate schools. I\u2019ve also sought to understand what kinds of programs I can offer to best root the students in a sense of stability. This is so important in today\u2019s overwhelmingly changing social climate.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> Talk more about the opportunity for a university to have a full-time Muslim chaplain. Why is this important to Harvard, and to the students themselves?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> First and foremost, as President Drew Faust articulated in her rationale for creating this position, there was a matter of equality that needed to be addressed on behalf of Harvard\u2019s Muslim students. Historically, many have felt the sense of being marginalized, of being targeted, and of being left behind. There was a need for somebody to be able to speak to their concerns in a way that represented both the University and where those students were coming from. I\u2019m able to do this in a way that helps them better discover what it means to be a student of an American Muslim background. I can empathize with their feelings of being targeted or of feeling ashamed of their identity. And I can do these things in my role as a University representative, seeking to help those students to understand that they can be proud of who they are.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> I imagine you draw on your experience for this work. You have your own unique story to tell as an American Muslim who chose his faith tradition at an early age.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> Yes, I can very closely relate to these students. My own experience around a similar age challenged me to figure out what it means to be an American Muslim. I had just graduated from college on 9\/11, a traumatic experience and a major turning point for our nation and for Muslims living in America and abroad. But this was also a defining moment for me personally, because it took place at the time when I went on my own spiritual journey, and also when I went out into the real world. It was a lot to deal with all at once. A lot of these students are experiencing similar feelings of so much happening at the same time. They\u2019ve left the homes they grew up in and the families they grew up with. They\u2019re living in dormitories for the first time, getting exposed to different foods that their moms didn\u2019t cook. They\u2019ve arrived in Cambridge, which is in one sense a bubble, and which is in another sense one of the most diverse places on the planet. So much is new, and I seek to help guide them through this newness.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, I draw upon my own background and experiences in my work. My youth as an African-American growing up in the South, whose family was very much involved in the Civil Rights Movement, mixed with my own studies in Islam and my own spiritual journey in a post-9\/11 world, have afforded me the opportunity to look at the intersections of race and religion in an American context. These experiences have allowed me to explore the challenges that come with that intersection, and to learn how to rise above those challenges, and speak to those challenges, in a way that\u2019s authentic and gives hope.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n\t\t<p>Khalil Abdur-Rashid was named Harvard\u2019s first full-time Muslim chaplain last July, bringing with him a strong foundation in civil rights, social work, higher education, and Islamic law and philosophy. Since choosing Islam as a youth, and embarking on a spiritual journey whose genesis began around the time of 9\/11, Abdur-Rashid has cultivated a strong, personal understanding of the African-American Muslim experience.<\/p>\n<p>The holder of master\u2019s of philosophy degrees in Islam and Middle Eastern studies, both from Columbia University, and an Islamic advanced doctorate (ijaaza ilmiyyah) in Islamic legal sciences and ethics from the ISAR Seminary in Istanbul, Abdur-Rashid is also nearing the completion of a doctorate in liberal studies, for which he is writing a history of the development of the African-American Muslim community, from the death of Malcolm X to the death of Muhammad Ali.<\/p>\n<p>But while his understanding of Islam is deeply steeped in rigorous academic inquiry, it is the imperative to help young people connect religious tradition to lived experience that largely drives his work at Harvard.<\/p>\n<p>Abdur-Rashid sat down with the Gazette to reflect on his first academic year, and to share his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the religious community on campus, and in particular for Muslim American students at Harvard.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q&A<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Khalil Abdur-Rashid<\/h3>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> You\u2019re closing in on completing your first academic year here. How has your time been spent, thus far?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> My first year was about doing everything I could to map out the landscape. It was about beginning to understand the culture of the University and the students\u2019 needs, both in terms of, generally speaking, students at the College, and also, more specifically, the Muslim students at the College and graduate schools. I\u2019ve also sought to understand what kinds of programs I can offer to best root the students in a sense of stability. This is so important in today\u2019s overwhelmingly changing social climate.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> Talk more about the opportunity for a university to have a full-time Muslim chaplain. Why is this important to Harvard, and to the students themselves?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> First and foremost, as President Drew Faust articulated in her rationale for creating this position, there was a matter of equality that needed to be addressed on behalf of Harvard\u2019s Muslim students. Historically, many have felt the sense of being marginalized, of being targeted, and of being left behind. There was a need for somebody to be able to speak to their concerns in a way that represented both the University and where those students were coming from. I\u2019m able to do this in a way that helps them better discover what it means to be a student of an American Muslim background. I can empathize with their feelings of being targeted or of feeling ashamed of their identity. And I can do these things in my role as a University representative, seeking to help those students to understand that they can be proud of who they are.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> I imagine you draw on your experience for this work. You have your own unique story to tell as an American Muslim who chose his faith tradition at an early age.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> Yes, I can very closely relate to these students. My own experience around a similar age challenged me to figure out what it means to be an American Muslim. I had just graduated from college on 9\/11, a traumatic experience and a major turning point for our nation and for Muslims living in America and abroad. But this was also a defining moment for me personally, because it took place at the time when I went on my own spiritual journey, and also when I went out into the real world. It was a lot to deal with all at once. A lot of these students are experiencing similar feelings of so much happening at the same time. They\u2019ve left the homes they grew up in and the families they grew up with. They\u2019re living in dormitories for the first time, getting exposed to different foods that their moms didn\u2019t cook. They\u2019ve arrived in Cambridge, which is in one sense a bubble, and which is in another sense one of the most diverse places on the planet. So much is new, and I seek to help guide them through this newness.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, I draw upon my own background and experiences in my work. My youth as an African-American growing up in the South, whose family was very much involved in the Civil Rights Movement, mixed with my own studies in Islam and my own spiritual journey in a post-9\/11 world, have afforded me the opportunity to look at the intersections of race and religion in an American context. These experiences have allowed me to explore the challenges that come with that intersection, and to learn how to rise above those challenges, and speak to those challenges, in a way that\u2019s authentic and gives hope.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/quote","attrs":{"value":"","citation":null,"textAlign":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"align":"","className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","layout":[],"anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"<p>\"They\u2019re living in dormitories for the first time, getting exposed to different foods that their moms didn\u2019t cook. They\u2019ve arrived in Cambridge, which is in one sense a bubble, and which is in another sense one of the most diverse places on the planet.\"<\/p>\n","innerContent":["<p>\"They\u2019re living in dormitories for the first time, getting exposed to different foods that their moms didn\u2019t cook. They\u2019ve arrived in Cambridge, which is in one sense a bubble, and which is in another sense one of the most diverse places on the planet.\"<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"<p>\"They\u2019re living in dormitories for the first time, getting exposed to different foods that their moms didn\u2019t cook. They\u2019ve arrived in Cambridge, which is in one sense a bubble, and which is in another sense one of the most diverse places on the planet.\"<\/p>\n"}],"innerHTML":"<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><\/blockquote>","innerContent":["<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">","<\/blockquote>"],"rendered":"<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\"They\u2019re living in dormitories for the first time, getting exposed to different foods that their moms didn\u2019t cook. They\u2019ve arrived in Cambridge, which is in one sense a bubble, and which is in another sense one of the most diverse places on the planet.\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>"},{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> What are some of the specific challenges for Muslim students at Harvard?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> The major consistent challenges that I\u2019ve seen since I\u2019ve been here come in two domains. The first domain, which affects mostly students at the College, is about \u201cWhat does Islam have to say about x, y, and z?\u201d For example, police brutality. Gender identity. Can I take Adderall to help me stay up at night to study?<\/p>\n<p>Many of these students grew up in a Muslim home, from a cultural background, and even a religious background, but it was never articulated to them how to be a Muslim in the worldly sense, outside of ritual. Now, in this environment, they have to think for themselves. They have to try to find answers. Sometimes they may come across things in class or when they\u2019re in dialogue with their peers that jar them, challenge them, and cause them to ask questions of themselves as to who they are and where they stand on these issues, not only as American students but as Muslim students. The American side of their brain might trigger one answer, but the Muslim identity might respond differently. Are they consistent? Are there divergences? What happens if the Muslim side says no or yes and the American side says no or yes, and they\u2019re in contradiction? How do I reconcile those two? Is it even possible? And then, how do I think about this whole notion of a dual consciousness? That\u2019s what I see at the level of the College.<\/p>\n<p>The second domain, which is more prevalent in the graduate Schools, is more about how to intersect Islam with a student\u2019s field of study and planned career path. It\u2019s about how do I \u201cinterdisciplinarize\u201d my faith with my work?<\/p>\n<p>Let me give you an example. A young woman from the Kennedy School came into my office the other day. She\u2019s a Muslim woman from an East Asian country, one year away from graduation, who told me she wants to go back to her country and become the first Muslim woman prime minister there. That was her goal. So her question to me was: What does Islam say about this, and how do I persuade the male-dominated culture that I come from that I should be prime minister? How do I work within an Islamic framework, using terminology and sources from the tradition, in a way that will resonate with Muslim clerics in her country, to the men in her country who are in parliament, and to those who would come to her website to learn more about her candidacy? Amazing, right?<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> Let\u2019s talk more about this \u201cinterdisciplinarization\u201d that you advocate for in your own work, because it reminds me of all of the diverse opportunities here at Harvard, the multitude of Schools, programs, activities, and perspectives that all make up this University, yet too often exist in silos. President Faust has spoken frequently about the importance of creating \u201cOne Harvard,\u201d and breaking down barriers across campus. Have you had any One Harvard moments in your first year, and how can your work serve to further this important mission?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> The vision of One Harvard is absolutely reachable within the work that I do, and especially through collaborations with the 30-plus Harvard chaplains here. We believe, together, that this University is sending the message that Harvard is about making the world a better place. And we believe One Harvard is about utilizing all of our individual strengths to leverage our collective strength in hopes of reaching that goal. As chaplains, of course, we advocate for the religious, spiritual, and ethical life to supplement the intellectual life, that the human being is not just a robust intellectual being but a spiritual being as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> But Harvard is often seen as a secular institution. How does spiritual life fit in here, and how does it complement the academic journey being undertaken by Harvard students?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> In life, just like there\u2019s an IQ, there\u2019s also an SQ, a spiritual quotient, and I believe that both of those things need to be synchronized. I also believe that faith and spirituality matter here at Harvard. And they matter because they help students to learn the right thing to do in an environment where the right thing is often based in very restrictive settings \u2014 in a math class based on algorithms, or in a language class that\u2019s based on grammatical rules, or in another class that\u2019s based on the rules that the teacher has outlined.<\/p>\n<p>One of the things I do with both undergraduate and graduate students is give them a religious language to use that makes sense in the secular environment. And often that language is ethics. How do you treat people, and how do you advocate for good treatment? My work is less about helping students to understand Islam as a theological tradition. For most of these students, that\u2019s already a given. Instead, so many are looking for ways to translate the teachings that they know so well into a way that can be a part of their studies and their future professions. I seek to help them to understand Islam as a lived experience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> What are some of the programmatic offerings you\u2019re working on to help students to enhance their \u201cspiritual quotients\u201d?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> I\u2019ve just finished putting together 10 programs that will be gradually introduced in phases over the next three years. These programs will be directed toward Muslim students, but also University-wide, open to everyone, even if they\u2019re not students of faith. There will be two programs this coming fall, the first of which is called \u201cLife Matters.\u201d \u201cLife Matters\u201d is an interview show where I speak with an esteemed faculty member or prestigious person who is a part of the Harvard community, and ask her or him to share certain aspects of their life story that no one would have known before. We\u2019ll discuss times when that person has faced a challenge, and how they\u2019ve used some aspect of faith or spiritual teachings, or even family teachings passed down, in their decision-making process in order to overcome those obstacles. We hope to have these shows available as podcasts for archive and for the benefit of future students and alumni.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll also have a program called \u201cFaith in Conversations,\u201d a roundtable discussion involving me and two or three distinguished members of the faith community at Harvard. The conversations will not be about commonalities, but instead we\u2019ll talk about our differences and how these differences can be used to get to know one another and eliminate blind spots that we have around each other.<\/p>\n<p>The whole idea is that narratives are very powerful, that when you get to know someone, this is what can break down walls. I\u2019m looking forward to partnering with Pastor Jonathan Walton of Memorial Church, and the Rev. Kathleen Reed, who is president of the Harvard chaplains, for the first program. I hope to start with the Abrahamic traditions, and then go into other traditions. I\u2019m very much looking forward to it.<\/p>\n<p><em>This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> What are some of the specific challenges for Muslim students at Harvard?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> The major consistent challenges that I\u2019ve seen since I\u2019ve been here come in two domains. The first domain, which affects mostly students at the College, is about \u201cWhat does Islam have to say about x, y, and z?\u201d For example, police brutality. Gender identity. Can I take Adderall to help me stay up at night to study?<\/p>\n<p>Many of these students grew up in a Muslim home, from a cultural background, and even a religious background, but it was never articulated to them how to be a Muslim in the worldly sense, outside of ritual. Now, in this environment, they have to think for themselves. They have to try to find answers. Sometimes they may come across things in class or when they\u2019re in dialogue with their peers that jar them, challenge them, and cause them to ask questions of themselves as to who they are and where they stand on these issues, not only as American students but as Muslim students. The American side of their brain might trigger one answer, but the Muslim identity might respond differently. Are they consistent? Are there divergences? What happens if the Muslim side says no or yes and the American side says no or yes, and they\u2019re in contradiction? How do I reconcile those two? Is it even possible? And then, how do I think about this whole notion of a dual consciousness? That\u2019s what I see at the level of the College.<\/p>\n<p>The second domain, which is more prevalent in the graduate Schools, is more about how to intersect Islam with a student\u2019s field of study and planned career path. It\u2019s about how do I \u201cinterdisciplinarize\u201d my faith with my work?<\/p>\n<p>Let me give you an example. A young woman from the Kennedy School came into my office the other day. She\u2019s a Muslim woman from an East Asian country, one year away from graduation, who told me she wants to go back to her country and become the first Muslim woman prime minister there. That was her goal. So her question to me was: What does Islam say about this, and how do I persuade the male-dominated culture that I come from that I should be prime minister? How do I work within an Islamic framework, using terminology and sources from the tradition, in a way that will resonate with Muslim clerics in her country, to the men in her country who are in parliament, and to those who would come to her website to learn more about her candidacy? Amazing, right?<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> Let\u2019s talk more about this \u201cinterdisciplinarization\u201d that you advocate for in your own work, because it reminds me of all of the diverse opportunities here at Harvard, the multitude of Schools, programs, activities, and perspectives that all make up this University, yet too often exist in silos. President Faust has spoken frequently about the importance of creating \u201cOne Harvard,\u201d and breaking down barriers across campus. Have you had any One Harvard moments in your first year, and how can your work serve to further this important mission?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> The vision of One Harvard is absolutely reachable within the work that I do, and especially through collaborations with the 30-plus Harvard chaplains here. We believe, together, that this University is sending the message that Harvard is about making the world a better place. And we believe One Harvard is about utilizing all of our individual strengths to leverage our collective strength in hopes of reaching that goal. As chaplains, of course, we advocate for the religious, spiritual, and ethical life to supplement the intellectual life, that the human being is not just a robust intellectual being but a spiritual being as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> But Harvard is often seen as a secular institution. How does spiritual life fit in here, and how does it complement the academic journey being undertaken by Harvard students?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> In life, just like there\u2019s an IQ, there\u2019s also an SQ, a spiritual quotient, and I believe that both of those things need to be synchronized. I also believe that faith and spirituality matter here at Harvard. And they matter because they help students to learn the right thing to do in an environment where the right thing is often based in very restrictive settings \u2014 in a math class based on algorithms, or in a language class that\u2019s based on grammatical rules, or in another class that\u2019s based on the rules that the teacher has outlined.<\/p>\n<p>One of the things I do with both undergraduate and graduate students is give them a religious language to use that makes sense in the secular environment. And often that language is ethics. How do you treat people, and how do you advocate for good treatment? My work is less about helping students to understand Islam as a theological tradition. For most of these students, that\u2019s already a given. Instead, so many are looking for ways to translate the teachings that they know so well into a way that can be a part of their studies and their future professions. I seek to help them to understand Islam as a lived experience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> What are some of the programmatic offerings you\u2019re working on to help students to enhance their \u201cspiritual quotients\u201d?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> I\u2019ve just finished putting together 10 programs that will be gradually introduced in phases over the next three years. These programs will be directed toward Muslim students, but also University-wide, open to everyone, even if they\u2019re not students of faith. There will be two programs this coming fall, the first of which is called \u201cLife Matters.\u201d \u201cLife Matters\u201d is an interview show where I speak with an esteemed faculty member or prestigious person who is a part of the Harvard community, and ask her or him to share certain aspects of their life story that no one would have known before. We\u2019ll discuss times when that person has faced a challenge, and how they\u2019ve used some aspect of faith or spiritual teachings, or even family teachings passed down, in their decision-making process in order to overcome those obstacles. We hope to have these shows available as podcasts for archive and for the benefit of future students and alumni.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll also have a program called \u201cFaith in Conversations,\u201d a roundtable discussion involving me and two or three distinguished members of the faith community at Harvard. The conversations will not be about commonalities, but instead we\u2019ll talk about our differences and how these differences can be used to get to know one another and eliminate blind spots that we have around each other.<\/p>\n<p>The whole idea is that narratives are very powerful, that when you get to know someone, this is what can break down walls. I\u2019m looking forward to partnering with Pastor Jonathan Walton of Memorial Church, and the Rev. Kathleen Reed, who is president of the Harvard chaplains, for the first program. I hope to start with the Abrahamic traditions, and then go into other traditions. I\u2019m very much looking forward to it.<\/p>\n<p><em>This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> What are some of the specific challenges for Muslim students at Harvard?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> The major consistent challenges that I\u2019ve seen since I\u2019ve been here come in two domains. The first domain, which affects mostly students at the College, is about \u201cWhat does Islam have to say about x, y, and z?\u201d For example, police brutality. Gender identity. Can I take Adderall to help me stay up at night to study?<\/p>\n<p>Many of these students grew up in a Muslim home, from a cultural background, and even a religious background, but it was never articulated to them how to be a Muslim in the worldly sense, outside of ritual. Now, in this environment, they have to think for themselves. They have to try to find answers. Sometimes they may come across things in class or when they\u2019re in dialogue with their peers that jar them, challenge them, and cause them to ask questions of themselves as to who they are and where they stand on these issues, not only as American students but as Muslim students. The American side of their brain might trigger one answer, but the Muslim identity might respond differently. Are they consistent? Are there divergences? What happens if the Muslim side says no or yes and the American side says no or yes, and they\u2019re in contradiction? How do I reconcile those two? Is it even possible? And then, how do I think about this whole notion of a dual consciousness? That\u2019s what I see at the level of the College.<\/p>\n<p>The second domain, which is more prevalent in the graduate Schools, is more about how to intersect Islam with a student\u2019s field of study and planned career path. It\u2019s about how do I \u201cinterdisciplinarize\u201d my faith with my work?<\/p>\n<p>Let me give you an example. A young woman from the Kennedy School came into my office the other day. She\u2019s a Muslim woman from an East Asian country, one year away from graduation, who told me she wants to go back to her country and become the first Muslim woman prime minister there. That was her goal. So her question to me was: What does Islam say about this, and how do I persuade the male-dominated culture that I come from that I should be prime minister? How do I work within an Islamic framework, using terminology and sources from the tradition, in a way that will resonate with Muslim clerics in her country, to the men in her country who are in parliament, and to those who would come to her website to learn more about her candidacy? Amazing, right?<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> Let\u2019s talk more about this \u201cinterdisciplinarization\u201d that you advocate for in your own work, because it reminds me of all of the diverse opportunities here at Harvard, the multitude of Schools, programs, activities, and perspectives that all make up this University, yet too often exist in silos. President Faust has spoken frequently about the importance of creating \u201cOne Harvard,\u201d and breaking down barriers across campus. Have you had any One Harvard moments in your first year, and how can your work serve to further this important mission?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> The vision of One Harvard is absolutely reachable within the work that I do, and especially through collaborations with the 30-plus Harvard chaplains here. We believe, together, that this University is sending the message that Harvard is about making the world a better place. And we believe One Harvard is about utilizing all of our individual strengths to leverage our collective strength in hopes of reaching that goal. As chaplains, of course, we advocate for the religious, spiritual, and ethical life to supplement the intellectual life, that the human being is not just a robust intellectual being but a spiritual being as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> But Harvard is often seen as a secular institution. How does spiritual life fit in here, and how does it complement the academic journey being undertaken by Harvard students?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> In life, just like there\u2019s an IQ, there\u2019s also an SQ, a spiritual quotient, and I believe that both of those things need to be synchronized. I also believe that faith and spirituality matter here at Harvard. And they matter because they help students to learn the right thing to do in an environment where the right thing is often based in very restrictive settings \u2014 in a math class based on algorithms, or in a language class that\u2019s based on grammatical rules, or in another class that\u2019s based on the rules that the teacher has outlined.<\/p>\n<p>One of the things I do with both undergraduate and graduate students is give them a religious language to use that makes sense in the secular environment. And often that language is ethics. How do you treat people, and how do you advocate for good treatment? My work is less about helping students to understand Islam as a theological tradition. For most of these students, that\u2019s already a given. Instead, so many are looking for ways to translate the teachings that they know so well into a way that can be a part of their studies and their future professions. I seek to help them to understand Islam as a lived experience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> What are some of the programmatic offerings you\u2019re working on to help students to enhance their \u201cspiritual quotients\u201d?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> I\u2019ve just finished putting together 10 programs that will be gradually introduced in phases over the next three years. These programs will be directed toward Muslim students, but also University-wide, open to everyone, even if they\u2019re not students of faith. There will be two programs this coming fall, the first of which is called \u201cLife Matters.\u201d \u201cLife Matters\u201d is an interview show where I speak with an esteemed faculty member or prestigious person who is a part of the Harvard community, and ask her or him to share certain aspects of their life story that no one would have known before. We\u2019ll discuss times when that person has faced a challenge, and how they\u2019ve used some aspect of faith or spiritual teachings, or even family teachings passed down, in their decision-making process in order to overcome those obstacles. We hope to have these shows available as podcasts for archive and for the benefit of future students and alumni.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll also have a program called \u201cFaith in Conversations,\u201d a roundtable discussion involving me and two or three distinguished members of the faith community at Harvard. The conversations will not be about commonalities, but instead we\u2019ll talk about our differences and how these differences can be used to get to know one another and eliminate blind spots that we have around each other.<\/p>\n<p>The whole idea is that narratives are very powerful, that when you get to know someone, this is what can break down walls. I\u2019m looking forward to partnering with Pastor Jonathan Walton of Memorial Church, and the Rev. Kathleen Reed, who is president of the Harvard chaplains, for the first program. I hope to start with the Abrahamic traditions, and then go into other traditions. I\u2019m very much looking forward to it.<\/p>\n<p><em>This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n"}],"innerHTML":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n\r\n\r\n\n\n<\/div>\n","innerContent":["\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n","\r\n","\r\n","\n\n<\/div>\n"],"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n\t\t<p>Khalil Abdur-Rashid was named Harvard\u2019s first full-time Muslim chaplain last July, bringing with him a strong foundation in civil rights, social work, higher education, and Islamic law and philosophy. Since choosing Islam as a youth, and embarking on a spiritual journey whose genesis began around the time of 9\/11, Abdur-Rashid has cultivated a strong, personal understanding of the African-American Muslim experience.<\/p>\n<p>The holder of master\u2019s of philosophy degrees in Islam and Middle Eastern studies, both from Columbia University, and an Islamic advanced doctorate (ijaaza ilmiyyah) in Islamic legal sciences and ethics from the ISAR Seminary in Istanbul, Abdur-Rashid is also nearing the completion of a doctorate in liberal studies, for which he is writing a history of the development of the African-American Muslim community, from the death of Malcolm X to the death of Muhammad Ali.<\/p>\n<p>But while his understanding of Islam is deeply steeped in rigorous academic inquiry, it is the imperative to help young people connect religious tradition to lived experience that largely drives his work at Harvard.<\/p>\n<p>Abdur-Rashid sat down with the Gazette to reflect on his first academic year, and to share his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the religious community on campus, and in particular for Muslim American students at Harvard.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q&A<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Khalil Abdur-Rashid<\/h3>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> You\u2019re closing in on completing your first academic year here. How has your time been spent, thus far?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> My first year was about doing everything I could to map out the landscape. It was about beginning to understand the culture of the University and the students\u2019 needs, both in terms of, generally speaking, students at the College, and also, more specifically, the Muslim students at the College and graduate schools. I\u2019ve also sought to understand what kinds of programs I can offer to best root the students in a sense of stability. This is so important in today\u2019s overwhelmingly changing social climate.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> Talk more about the opportunity for a university to have a full-time Muslim chaplain. Why is this important to Harvard, and to the students themselves?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> First and foremost, as President Drew Faust articulated in her rationale for creating this position, there was a matter of equality that needed to be addressed on behalf of Harvard\u2019s Muslim students. Historically, many have felt the sense of being marginalized, of being targeted, and of being left behind. There was a need for somebody to be able to speak to their concerns in a way that represented both the University and where those students were coming from. I\u2019m able to do this in a way that helps them better discover what it means to be a student of an American Muslim background. I can empathize with their feelings of being targeted or of feeling ashamed of their identity. And I can do these things in my role as a University representative, seeking to help those students to understand that they can be proud of who they are.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> I imagine you draw on your experience for this work. You have your own unique story to tell as an American Muslim who chose his faith tradition at an early age.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> Yes, I can very closely relate to these students. My own experience around a similar age challenged me to figure out what it means to be an American Muslim. I had just graduated from college on 9\/11, a traumatic experience and a major turning point for our nation and for Muslims living in America and abroad. But this was also a defining moment for me personally, because it took place at the time when I went on my own spiritual journey, and also when I went out into the real world. It was a lot to deal with all at once. A lot of these students are experiencing similar feelings of so much happening at the same time. They\u2019ve left the homes they grew up in and the families they grew up with. They\u2019re living in dormitories for the first time, getting exposed to different foods that their moms didn\u2019t cook. They\u2019ve arrived in Cambridge, which is in one sense a bubble, and which is in another sense one of the most diverse places on the planet. So much is new, and I seek to help guide them through this newness.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, I draw upon my own background and experiences in my work. My youth as an African-American growing up in the South, whose family was very much involved in the Civil Rights Movement, mixed with my own studies in Islam and my own spiritual journey in a post-9\/11 world, have afforded me the opportunity to look at the intersections of race and religion in an American context. These experiences have allowed me to explore the challenges that come with that intersection, and to learn how to rise above those challenges, and speak to those challenges, in a way that\u2019s authentic and gives hope.<\/p>\n\r\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\"They\u2019re living in dormitories for the first time, getting exposed to different foods that their moms didn\u2019t cook. They\u2019ve arrived in Cambridge, which is in one sense a bubble, and which is in another sense one of the most diverse places on the planet.\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> What are some of the specific challenges for Muslim students at Harvard?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> The major consistent challenges that I\u2019ve seen since I\u2019ve been here come in two domains. The first domain, which affects mostly students at the College, is about \u201cWhat does Islam have to say about x, y, and z?\u201d For example, police brutality. Gender identity. Can I take Adderall to help me stay up at night to study?<\/p>\n<p>Many of these students grew up in a Muslim home, from a cultural background, and even a religious background, but it was never articulated to them how to be a Muslim in the worldly sense, outside of ritual. Now, in this environment, they have to think for themselves. They have to try to find answers. Sometimes they may come across things in class or when they\u2019re in dialogue with their peers that jar them, challenge them, and cause them to ask questions of themselves as to who they are and where they stand on these issues, not only as American students but as Muslim students. The American side of their brain might trigger one answer, but the Muslim identity might respond differently. Are they consistent? Are there divergences? What happens if the Muslim side says no or yes and the American side says no or yes, and they\u2019re in contradiction? How do I reconcile those two? Is it even possible? And then, how do I think about this whole notion of a dual consciousness? That\u2019s what I see at the level of the College.<\/p>\n<p>The second domain, which is more prevalent in the graduate Schools, is more about how to intersect Islam with a student\u2019s field of study and planned career path. It\u2019s about how do I \u201cinterdisciplinarize\u201d my faith with my work?<\/p>\n<p>Let me give you an example. A young woman from the Kennedy School came into my office the other day. She\u2019s a Muslim woman from an East Asian country, one year away from graduation, who told me she wants to go back to her country and become the first Muslim woman prime minister there. That was her goal. So her question to me was: What does Islam say about this, and how do I persuade the male-dominated culture that I come from that I should be prime minister? How do I work within an Islamic framework, using terminology and sources from the tradition, in a way that will resonate with Muslim clerics in her country, to the men in her country who are in parliament, and to those who would come to her website to learn more about her candidacy? Amazing, right?<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> Let\u2019s talk more about this \u201cinterdisciplinarization\u201d that you advocate for in your own work, because it reminds me of all of the diverse opportunities here at Harvard, the multitude of Schools, programs, activities, and perspectives that all make up this University, yet too often exist in silos. President Faust has spoken frequently about the importance of creating \u201cOne Harvard,\u201d and breaking down barriers across campus. Have you had any One Harvard moments in your first year, and how can your work serve to further this important mission?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> The vision of One Harvard is absolutely reachable within the work that I do, and especially through collaborations with the 30-plus Harvard chaplains here. We believe, together, that this University is sending the message that Harvard is about making the world a better place. And we believe One Harvard is about utilizing all of our individual strengths to leverage our collective strength in hopes of reaching that goal. As chaplains, of course, we advocate for the religious, spiritual, and ethical life to supplement the intellectual life, that the human being is not just a robust intellectual being but a spiritual being as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> But Harvard is often seen as a secular institution. How does spiritual life fit in here, and how does it complement the academic journey being undertaken by Harvard students?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> In life, just like there\u2019s an IQ, there\u2019s also an SQ, a spiritual quotient, and I believe that both of those things need to be synchronized. I also believe that faith and spirituality matter here at Harvard. And they matter because they help students to learn the right thing to do in an environment where the right thing is often based in very restrictive settings \u2014 in a math class based on algorithms, or in a language class that\u2019s based on grammatical rules, or in another class that\u2019s based on the rules that the teacher has outlined.<\/p>\n<p>One of the things I do with both undergraduate and graduate students is give them a religious language to use that makes sense in the secular environment. And often that language is ethics. How do you treat people, and how do you advocate for good treatment? My work is less about helping students to understand Islam as a theological tradition. For most of these students, that\u2019s already a given. Instead, so many are looking for ways to translate the teachings that they know so well into a way that can be a part of their studies and their future professions. I seek to help them to understand Islam as a lived experience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GAZETTE:<\/strong> What are some of the programmatic offerings you\u2019re working on to help students to enhance their \u201cspiritual quotients\u201d?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABDUR-RASHID:<\/strong> I\u2019ve just finished putting together 10 programs that will be gradually introduced in phases over the next three years. These programs will be directed toward Muslim students, but also University-wide, open to everyone, even if they\u2019re not students of faith. There will be two programs this coming fall, the first of which is called \u201cLife Matters.\u201d \u201cLife Matters\u201d is an interview show where I speak with an esteemed faculty member or prestigious person who is a part of the Harvard community, and ask her or him to share certain aspects of their life story that no one would have known before. We\u2019ll discuss times when that person has faced a challenge, and how they\u2019ve used some aspect of faith or spiritual teachings, or even family teachings passed down, in their decision-making process in order to overcome those obstacles. We hope to have these shows available as podcasts for archive and for the benefit of future students and alumni.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll also have a program called \u201cFaith in Conversations,\u201d a roundtable discussion involving me and two or three distinguished members of the faith community at Harvard. The conversations will not be about commonalities, but instead we\u2019ll talk about our differences and how these differences can be used to get to know one another and eliminate blind spots that we have around each other.<\/p>\n<p>The whole idea is that narratives are very powerful, that when you get to know someone, this is what can break down walls. I\u2019m looking forward to partnering with Pastor Jonathan Walton of Memorial Church, and the Rev. Kathleen Reed, who is president of the Harvard chaplains, for the first program. I hope to start with the Abrahamic traditions, and then go into other traditions. I\u2019m very much looking forward to it.<\/p>\n<p><em>This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n"}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":227333,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2017\/06\/harvard-appoints-a-muslim-chaplain\/","url_meta":{"origin":241850,"position":0},"title":"Harvard appoints Muslim chaplain","author":"gazettejohnbaglione","date":"June 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Khalil Abdur-Rashid, an adjunct professor of Islamic studies at Southern Methodist University and co-founder of the Islamic Seminary of America, has been appointed Harvard\u2019s Muslim chaplain.","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/061217_abdur-rashid_khalil_232_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/061217_abdur-rashid_khalil_232_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/061217_abdur-rashid_khalil_232_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":367569,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2023\/12\/reminders-of-common-humanity-mark-interfaith-vigil-israel-hamas\/","url_meta":{"origin":241850,"position":1},"title":"\u2018It is an act of courage to stand with others.\u2019","author":"gazettebeckycoleman","date":"December 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Reminders of common humanity, rooted in grief and hope, mark vigil led by Harvard chaplains","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"People gather in front of Memorial Church for an Israel-Hamas war vigil; Clauding Gay comforts a grieving attendee; Rabbi Getzel Davis and Imam Khalil Abdur-Rashid lead prayers.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231210_vigil.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231210_vigil.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231210_vigil.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231210_vigil.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":400677,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2025\/02\/key-to-healing-riven-communities-getting-people-together\/","url_meta":{"origin":241850,"position":2},"title":"Key to healing riven communities? 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