As salaamu alaikum Everyone,
 
I pray everyone is doing well. February is usually a month of reflection for me for many reasons but here are a few. One is reason is because it is my birthday month and I always look forward to what I want this new year to look like. Another is because its Black History Month and I always want to learn new facts about my history. Although the reasons previously mentioned are very important, the loss of our Three Winners, Deah, Yusor and Razan in the Chapel Hill Shooting 5 years ago has weighed heavy on my heart and mind since it happened. 
 
Deah, Yusor, and Razan were murdered five years ago on my birthday, February 10, 2015. It was the birthday where I was celebrating my last year in my 30s and I must admit I was feeling really down. I was feeling like I hadn’t accomplished all I had hoped I would by then. I didn’t feel like my family acknowledged it the way I had hoped either. But then I heard the news of their murders and I was devastated. I knew all of them. My daughter played basketball with the Yusor and Razan, and Deah had planned to volunteer as a dentist at the free clinic I worked at years ago. My feelings about aging seemed so pointless and shallow after this. It was at that point that I vowed to never be ashamed of aging and to be grateful for the privilege to do so. I also vowed to never let their lives be lost in vain. 
 
So, I say all this to say, enjoy life, find happiness, never take a day for granted and always do something daily that will bring you joy. Come out next Thursday at 7:30 PM- 9:30 PM to the Marylou Center Basement to experience Rashida James-Saadiya, at her talk called Who Taught You to Love Yourself: A Tribute to Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz.  Her talks are always interactive, enjoyable and informative and the best part is it’s open to EVERYONE! I hope to see some of you all there. Have a great week!
 
Peace and Blessings,
Samaiyah
UPCOMING EVENTS
FRIDAY (2/14): WEEKLY JUM'AH
WHERE: Duke Wellness Center, Rooms 148-149
WHEN : 1pm-1:30pm
WHO: Imam Abdul Waheed
TOPIC : Understanding and Valuing African American History

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 .
FRIDAY (2/14): MSA PRESENTS BOWLING NIGHT
WHERE: AMF Bowling Co. (Durham Lanes, NC)
WHEN : 6pm-9pm

We're keeping the Friday events rolling with bowling! I hope everyone can spare some time to head to AMF lanes at 7pm on Friday. Meet at the Center for Muslim Life at 6:00 PM for rides, if you need one.

MONDAY-FRIDAY (2/17-2/21): THE BREAKFAST CLUB
WHERE: Center for Muslim Life
WHEN : Fajr Iqama at 6:15am

Students are 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.

Don't forget about breakfasts provided by BroJo every Wednesday!
MONDAY (2/17): QUR'AN READING
WHERE: BC Prayer Room
WHEN : 6pm-7pm
WHAT: Verses 27:56 - 28:11

Come listen or join in as the Qur’an is read in Arabic. Participants sit in a circle reading one or three verses at a time. Students are able to practice and improve their recitation. All levels of reading are welcome and supported.
TUESDAY (2/18): JOURNEY TO THE VOTE
WHEN & WHERE: 4:30pm @ May Lou Williams Center
5pm @ Center for Muslim Life

Join the Mary Lou Williams Center and the Center for Muslim Life as we journey into the past to experience the evolution of voting rights from 1960 to present. Get a glimpse of what it was like to vote as a minority, or even an ally in the 1960s, and learn more about the work of groups like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference who fought for the right to vote without obstruction and prejudice.
WEDNESDAY (2/19): KITABCONNECT
WHERE: CML, 406 Swift Ave
WHEN : 6:30pm-8pm
WHAT: Verses 27:56 - 28:11

This is an open discussion that follows the passages read on Monday . This group will explore the meaning of the Qur’anic verses seeking inspiration and practical guidance for life. Participants are encouraged to share one verse they connect with from the reading.
THURSDAY (2/20): MANAGING PARENTAL EXPECTATIONS FOCUS GROUP
WHERE: CMA Resource Room
WHEN : Thursday, 2/20, 4-5:30pm
**Tuesday, 2/25, 5-6:30pm

Thanks to those who joined at the previous session. Please join us at any of the other sessions for a facilitated discussion to share with and learn from each other about the range of experiences navigating relationships and cultural expectations as a Muslim student in 2020. You may be in good company.

**New date added
THURSDAY (2/20): BLACK MUSLIM TALK SPACE presents WHO TAUGHT YOU TO LOVE YOURSELF
WHERE: MLW Center for Black Culture
WHEN : 7:30pm-9:30pm

Join Rashida James-Saadiya for this month's premiere Black Muslim Talk Space. She will explore the work and union of Malcolm X and Sister Betty Shabazz, and the many ways in which love has been reimagined over time and utilized as a tool for spiritual growth, healing, and creative resistance in Black communities.

Rashida James-Saadiya is a cultural educator, and multidisciplinary artist invested in transforming social perceptions through creative literature. Her work explores migration, identity, and the transmission of spirituality and cultural memory amongst Black Muslim women in West Africa and the American South. In addition, she is the Arts & Culture Editor for Sapelo Square, which is a digital hub that documents the experience and legacy of Black Muslims in America. Saadiya is also the co-curator of “Flowers,” a
truth-telling Black culture podcast that explores Black brilliance, Black Love and Black culture through a Black Muslim lens.
SUNDAY (2/23): GMSA PRESENTS ICE SKATING SOCIAL
WHERE: Center for Muslim Life, 406 Swift
WHEN : 12pm for pizza, 12:45pm for carpooling to Orange County Sportsplex

For our Grad Student Gathering (GSG) for the month of February, back by popular demand, we will be eating pizza and going ice skating at Orange County Sportsplex.

Please  RSVP here so we can make sure to order enough food! All are welcome, so feel free to bring friends and family - just let us know on the RSVP form :)

Questions? Contact Aqdas Lilani.
SATURDAY (2/29): FARIHA ROISIN WORKSHOP & KEYNOTE
WHERE: The Ruby Lounge
WHEN : 2pm

Join the Duke Writers' Collective for a keynote, Q&A discussion with Bangladeshi-Australian poet and novelist Fariha Róisín. The event will be followed by a book signing, and copies of her book  How to Cure a Ghost  will be available for purchase. 
 
Fariha writes on Muslim identity, race, self-care, pop culture, and film, and has written for  The New York Times, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Vice, them, Fusion, Village Voice  and others. For more info, visit her website  www.fariharoisin.com.
MONDAY (3/2): LUNCH and FACILITATED DISCUSSION with PROFESSOR KECIA ALI
WHERE: CMA Wekit
WHEN : 12pm-1:30pm

Join the Center for Muslim Life and the Women's Center for lunch with Professor Kecia Ali, scholar of religion, gender, and ethics. Professor Ali's scholarship focuses on the study of Islamic Jurisprudence and Women in Early and Modern Islam. She is currently a Professor of Religion at Boston University, and her books include Sexual Ethics in Islam (2006), The Lives of Muhammad (2014), and Marriage and Slavery in Early Islam (2010).

Duke undergraduate Sarah Chaoui '21 will lead a discussion with Professor Ali on topics including ethics, gender, and slavery in the Qur'an.
THURSDAY (3/5): MOVING THROUGH HATE, LOVE & FEAR: A U.S. MARINE VETERAN'S JOURNEY TO ISLAM
WHERE: CMA Resource Room
WHEN : 4pm-5:30pm

Come meet and learn the story of Richard McKinney, A former U.S. Marine who plotted to blow up an Islamic Center in Muncie, Indiana, and through an unusual turn of events ended up in a place that is utterly surprising - and hopeful.
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Duke Dining has confirmed all of the halal food options on campus below:

Divinity Café (West Campus) - all chicken dishes
Marketplace (East Campus) - all chicken (except wings); all beef at Pac Room Station
Tandoor (Brodhead) - all meat (except the meatball Manchuria)
The Devil’s Krafthouse  (Brodhead) - all chicken
JB’s Roasts & Chops (Brodhead) - all chicken
Skillet Southern Cookery (Brodhead) - all chicken
Chefs Kitchen (Brodhead) - all chicken (from 11-2pm, academic year only)
Café (Brodhead)- all chicken
Café @ the Perk (Perkins Library) - all chicken
Sanford Café (Sanford School) - all chicken
Twinnies (West Campus, Engineering building)- all chicken

Please note that not all dining staff are aware of what "halal" means, but the above list has been confirmed with Duke Dining management. We will periodically update the list on our website , as we continue to meet with them.
GRADUATION BANQUET 2019-2020
ATTENTION UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE, AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS! Are you graduating this school year? Do you want to celebrate your achievement with the Center for Muslim Life? The CML is planning a Graduation Banquet for next May and we want to honor ALL of our graduating students. If you are graduating this school year, please tell us a bit about yourself by filling out the form below.
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY
BE A COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER: All September and December 2019 graduates and/or May 2020 degree candidates are invited to submit a speech that, if chosen, will be given at the commencement ceremony. All speeches must be submitted by midnight on March 18, 2020. Finalists will be asked to deliver their speeches to the selection committee at a later date. Although the information sessions have passed, you can contact Noor Tasnim ’18 for the do’s and don’ts of what makes a good commencement speech.  

Student Speaker Selection Committee Application is here . Due March 2 .

Student Speaker Application is here . Due March 18 .

APPLY TO BE A FAC: If you are a current first-year, sophomore, or junior looking for a meaningful leadership opportunity that will impact the future of Duke, apply to be a First-Year Advisory Counselor (FAC) for the Class of 2024. Applications will be open from Monday, February 3 through Sunday, February 16 . Please click here to access the application.

Questions? Contact the FAC Program Co-Chairs (Gia Cummings & Andrew Kellogg Peeler) at  facboard@duke.edu .

DUKE MENTAL HEALTH FORUM: The Duke University Mental Health Forum is intended to demystify mental health-related systems and resources at Duke, and also enable undergraduate (and graduate) students to have a voice in the process by providing constructive feedback and solutions directly to senior administration. The Forum will be held on Monday, February 24th from 6-8 PM in Penn Pavilion. The first half of the Forum will be a moderated panel with pre-submitted student questions; the second half will be open question & answer and suggestions with an open mic.

Please RSVP via this Google Form so you can be accounted for FREE DINNER! Also, for more details, please see the Facebook event found here and mark you are "Going" too!! Thank you so much!

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM: Global Engagement Program (GEP) A Leadership Program for U.S. American Students Seeking to Develop Their Global Mindset GEP is a semester-long service-learning program, providing domestic students with opportunities to interact with international students and scholars at Duke as a way to foster exposure and engagement with the diverse populations at Duke. Selected students will be involved in International House program activities for a semester and receive training on intercultural awareness and communication as well as career and leadership development. Upon successful completion of the program, students will get a completion certificate endorsed by the International House and the Career Center, which can be used to strengthen their resume.

For program details and to apply, please visit GEP website. The application deadline for Fall 2020 is Friday, March 6, 2020. Please contact Ling Jin at ling.jin@duke.edu if you have any questions.

BE A GRADUATE IHOP: International House is now recruiting volunteers for the 2020 Graduate International House Orientation Peer (IHOP) Program. Participants of this volunteer program will welcome new international graduate and professional students in August 2020, share their Duke experiences with incoming international students, and help new students get adjusted to life at Duke. This is also a great opportunity for participants to enhance their cross-cultural and leadership skills, and build an inclusive and diverse community. International and domestic/U.S. American students are all welcome to apply!

For program details and to apply, please visit bit.ly/grad-ihop. The application deadline is Friday, Feb 28. Contact Ling Jin at ling.jin@duke.edu with questions.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
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.
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