Salaam y'all,

You're almost there! Winter break is near and we'll be taking a break from our regular programming as well as our newsletter until the second week of January.

Remember to take small moments to revel in joy and laughter even as you study, write papers, and take exams. One term during reading/exam period as an undergraduate, a couple friends and I started communicating with one another ONLY in haiku form. It was kind of ridiculous, but it brought us so much joy and laughter in the library, so we continued the tradition (albeit less strictly) for exam periods throughout college. To honor this tradition of mine, here's a Maryam original:

Climbing the mountain,
we sometimes forget - the view
is all around us.

Don't forget to look around and revel in the beauty of each moment. See you all in January insha'Allah!

Best,
Maryam
UPCOMING EVENTS
FRIDAY (12/13): WEEKLY JUM'AH
IMPORTANT: This is the last jum'ah hosted by the CML this year . We will resume jum'ah services on Friday, 1/10.

We urge students and community members who are present over the break to attend jum'ah at the Interfaith Chapel in the Duke Medicine Pavilion ( 1:30pm, located at 10 Duke Medicine Drive, main level, between information desk and cafe) or Ar-Razzaq Islamic Center (1pm, located at 1009 W. Chapel Hill St.).

WHERE: Duke Wellness Center, Rooms 148-149
WHEN : 1pm-1:30pm
WHO: Brother Joshua
TOPIC : I Have Some Good News!

Please note : For those who are not able to make the main 1pm jum'ah time, there will be a shorter jum'ah from 12:15-12:30pm in Wellness Rooms 148/149. If you have any questions or accommodation needs, please email Brother Joshua .
MONDAY-FRIDAY (12/16-12/20): THE BREAKFAST CLUB
Students will still be coming together Mondays through Fridays to pray Fajr in congregation at the Center for Muslim Life. Please stop by for Fajr any Monday through Friday. This coming week, the group is praying Fajr at 6:20am.

Wednesday Breakfasts with BroJo will resume on Wednesday, January 15th.
QUR'AN READING & KITABCONNECT
IMPORTANT : Monday Qur'an Reading and Wednesday KitabConnect will resume January 13th.
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
MEET OUR STUDENT WORKERS
The CML is excited to introduce you to our student workers who are working with us through this academic year! We are so excited to be working with them. Read below to meet Marium, Muhammed, and Ahmed and hear what they are up to.

Marium Khan '21 is a junior undergraduate student studying biology who was born and raised in Islamabad, Pakistan but moved to Dallas, TX before starting high school. In her free time, she enjoys painting and being in the outdoors. Marium says, "Working with the CML to create a timeline showing Muslim Life at Duke has been an honor. The project is meaningful both for me and for incoming Muslim students that would like to know about the impact that the Muslim community has had on campus for decades."
Muhammed Bah '22 is a second-year undergraduate student of Global Health and International Comparative Studies. Muhammed grew up in the Gambia, which is the smallest country on mainland Africa, and is nicknamed the Smiling Coast of Africa because of its proximity to the Atlantic Coast and the hospitality of its people. He is the recipient of the 2017 Ashinaga Africa Initiative Leadership Program Award from the Gambia, which is a prestigious award with the aim of contributing to Sub-Saharan Africa’s long-term development by empowering a generation of future leaders.

Muhammed feels privileged to have the opportunity to work with the Center for Muslim Life and other departments at Duke with the purpose of documenting the history and activities of Muslims at Duke. "The CML is an amazing community, and it is indeed a great honor for me to work with such a vibrant staff in order to put up a timeline on Muslim activities on campus."
Ahmed Hussain '21 is a junior undergraduate student studying biology who is originally from Iraq and has spent nearly the first half of his life in the Middle East. He also spent time in Houston, which he calls "the humidity capital of the world." Ahmed says, "I am very grateful for the opportunity to help the CML and inshallah, contribute to the growth of this wonderful community. See you around." Right now, Ahmed is working on re-organizing our library collection!
MSA EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
MSA FRIDAYS RESUME NEXT TERM
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY
HISTORICAL NARRATIVES OF SOUTH ASIA: Diya, Duke’s undergraduate South Asian Student Association, is organizing a project that will showcase
the implications of historical conflicts in South Asia, often under-represented in our history as South Asian/Americans. We hope to acknowledge some of the emotional experiences of individuals who have lived through or been affected by events such as the Partition, various independence movements, the Sri Lankan Civil War, or other political, regional, cultural and/or religious conflict in South Asia. 

If you or anyone you know would be willing to share their experiences, we would love for you to fill out the following form so that we can get in touch:

SUBMIT TO MARGINS: BODIES MULTIMEDIA PUBLICATION : Margins is a multi-media, collaborative publication devoted to centering the narratives of Asian Americans and Asians in America. This publication is an intervention in the Asian/American community and an invitation for Asian/Americans to engage in more nuanced conversations about identity. We aim to (re)politicize Asian/American identity, expanding the vocabulary for understanding how we, as Asian/Americans, navigate our experiences.

Bodies is the inaugural issue of Margins. Bodies is an expansive concept that is rooted in the Black intellectual tradition. It encapsulates the physical body, how we are perceived as racialized—but also gendered, classed, sexualized, and politicized—bodies. However, Bodies also refers to the body as a collective. Bodies goes beyond the individual human form, such as bodies of water, body counts, and bodies in the media.

Submissions are open to all Duke-affiliated students, faculty, staff, and alum. Non-East Asian and multiracial/multicultural/multiethnic folx are especially encouraged to submit! If you have any questions, feel free to message the Asian/American Studies Working Group (AASWG) Facebook page. We will be accepting submissions until January 8 @ 11:59PM EST . You can complete your submission here.

EMBODIED LEARNING SUMMIT: Body image is not just how we perceive our bodies, but also how we feel about ourselves and how we feel in our bodies. This year’s summit will focus on yoga as a tool to promote body positivity and to address issues relating to body image. No matter who you are or what you look like, you belong. This practice is for everyone. We hope to see you there!

What is the Embodied Learning Summit?
-->A full-day summit that uses discussion, practice, and education of mindfulness and yoga to address social justice issues; this year specifically addresses body positivity.

How do I attend?
-->Visit embodiedlearningsummit.com to register to attend and to learn more.
SUBMIT AN EVENT OR ANNOUNCEMENT
To submit an event or announcement to be considered for the CML Weekly Newsletter, please fill out this form out by Wednesdays at 11:59pm . Newsletters are sent Thursday evenings, but only include non-CML-affiliated events for the upcoming week.
STAY CONNECTED
Click below to join our undergraduate student text reminder group!
Click below to join our graduate student text reminder group!