As-salaamu-alaikum everyone,

These are very difficult times. I pray that God has Mercy on all of us and that we have mercy on ourselves as well. The purpose of this email is to support the communication efforts of Duke University and to update you on the status of the CML and our programs.

Please read below carefully and know that our team remains ready and willing to help you. If you have questions, concerns or trouble reaching a department on campus, please email us immediately. We will do our best to assist. For more urgent and time sensitive matters, you can text me at 703-625-3336.

Information keeps changing very quickly. So keep checking the websites and links below, on a daily basis, to stay informed

Joshua Salaam
Director
Center for Muslim Life
IMPORTANT INFO.
What Is Duke Saying?
Duke has worked hard to consolidate information. To learn more about Duke's guidance for students, frequently asked questions, what to do if you're sick and much more about the Coronavirus, click HERE.
More Info From The CDC
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the organizations Duke is referring people to for more information on how to protect yourself. For more information, click HERE.
STUDENTS STAY HOME
(but no student should be homeless)
A message from Mary Pat McMahon and Gary Bennett
Dear students,

To protect public health and the safety of the entire Duke community, Duke has taken significant actions related to COVID-19 (coronavirus), including the extension of Spring Break through March 22 and the shift of all undergraduate classes to remote instruction beginning March 23.
Students who are currently out of town for Spring Break should NOT return to the Duke campus.  We know there are undergraduate students who are on campus at the moment or who will need access to campus housing this week because of a variety of circumstances; the information below will help us direct you more specifically.  Those students who need to return to campus, even briefly, must register with Student Affairs in advance so we can support a very limited on-campus population. 
IN THIS STRESSFUL TIME, KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE TO WORK WITH YOU—WHATEVER YOUR SPECIFIC SITUATION, WE HAVE A TEAM OF PEOPLE READY TO HELP AND SUPPORT YOU. Please understand that we will prioritize urgent health and safety requests and that all plans are subject to change. The information below will help identify action steps for your specific situation.
Accessing your belongings in a res hall
The majority of students will not be able to move their belongings out of the res halls at this time. We will share additional details on how to retrieve your belongings later this spring. For now, all students may leave their items in their assigned residence hall room through the end of the spring semester. Both the buildings and the rooms will be secured.
We anticipate that a small number of students may be in the area and able to retrieve belongings or move fully out from your on-campus housing between now and March 22. This is an update to our policy on returning to campus—if you plan to retrieve belongings or move out between now and March 22, please register to let us know what day you will do so using the  housing registration form  by FRIDAY, MARCH 13, AT NOON EDT. 

IF YOU ARE RETURNING FROM A CDC LEVEL 2 OR 3 LOCATION
If you are currently traveling or have traveled to a country with a  Level 2 or 3 CDC travel warning  you may NOT return to campus at this time for any reason, and will be required to self-quarantine at home for 14 days. If you are returning to the U.S. from one of these areas, find  more information about what to do here .
To confirm, if you are currently on campus or will be near campus arriving from a NON-LEVEL 2 OR 3 LOCATION between now and March 22, you may move out—we just need to know what day via the  housing registration form . The vast majority of students will work with our team to access their belongings at a later time and information will be forthcoming.
DukeCard access
Starting tomorrow, Thursday, March 12, DukeCard access for all students will be restricted to house-only access on East Campus and quad-only access on West Campus. Beginning, Monday, March 23, DukeCard access to all residence halls will be restricted for anyone not pre-approved to remain on campus using the  housing registration form .
If you cannot return home
If you are presently on campus and cannot return home, whether due to travel restrictions, costs of travel, or another consideration that may supersede this direction, please fill out the  housing registration form , and we will follow up with you directly to learn more. The information provided on this form will be secure and allows us to provide you with more specific direction.

IF YOU NEED TO REMAIN ON CAMPUS BEYOND SUNDAY, MARCH 22, YOU MUST REGISTER USING THE  HOUSING REGISTRATION FORM  BY FRIDAY, MARCH 13, AT NOON EDT, AND RECEIVE WRITTEN APPROVAL FROM STUDENT AFFAIRS TO REMAIN IN YOUR RESIDENCE HALL.
Ensuring your safety and wellbeing is our top priority. We appreciate your cooperation and patience as we work to reduce the density of our on-campus community and take needed steps to address the coronavirus’s spread. Please continue to use common sense and refrain from actions that could unintentionally put others at risk. We will continue to stay connected with any additional information as we have it.

Sincerely,
Mary Pat McMahon
Vice Provost for Student Affairs
Gary Bennett
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
Islamic Religious Opinions (Jumuah, etc)
Chaplain Joshua has been communicating with scholars and other Chaplains across America. The general message is as follows:

  • Most scholars agree that one of the main goals (purpose) of religious laws is to preserve life and prevent harm.
  • The tradition of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ““If you hear that there is a plague in a land, do not enter it; and if it (plague) visits a land while you are therein, do not go out of it.” (Bukhari) By this tradition we learn that it is not permissible to knowingly expose ourselves and others to disease
  • Islam is flexible and practical. It makes accommodations and exceptions in mandatory acts of worship for bad weather, traveling, sickness and other extreme or difficult situations.

Based on this reasoning, many communities, including the CML, are asking Muslims to:
  1. Avoid congregational prayers if you are sick, to prevent harming others by spreading the sickness. Be gentle, kind, and merciful to those who are showing signs of sickness. Someone who tests positive with COVID-19 may need to be physically isolated. However, make sure they still have a caring social and spiritual community...if only virtually.
  2. Take advantage of the religious accommodations during difficult times. If your local community is not gathering for the Friday prayer (Jumuah), pray Dhur prayer instead with the understanding that it will be accepted the same as your Friday prayer since that was your intention. (The Jumuah prayer in the Wellness Center organized by the CML is canceled until further notice...Stay tuned)
  3. Remember prayer. In addition to the guidance provided by Duke and the CDC, we also ask you to remember the guidance given to us by God. Use this time to pray for patience, strength, wisdom, health, safety and normalcy. The source of all healing is from our Creator. (17:82)
MENTAL HEALTH
This is all new! No one has ever seen anything like this before. It is completely understandable if you are having a difficult time dealing with the stress and uncertainty. Don't hesitate to contact a local health care provider or contact DUKE CAPS if you need any type of assistance in maintaining your mental health.
CML PROGRAMS & EVENTS
CANCELLED PROGRAMS & EVENTS:
weekly MONDAY QUR'AN READINGS, cancelled until further notice
3/19 Black Muslim Talk Space, cancelled
3/19 Career Center event with GMSA & MSA, cancelled
4/17-4/19 REUNIONS WEEKEND, cancelled

PENDING EVENTS:
4/16 Black Muslim Talk Space, potentially postponed
5/5 Graduation iftar, pending, please continue to RSVP if you plan to attend

VIRTUAL EVENTS:
weekly WEDNESDAY KITABCONNECT will continue online. Note the time Change to 6pm-7:30pm:

Joshua Salaam is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/924812313

Meeting ID: 924 812 313

Topic: Duke CML KITABCONNECT
Time: Mar 18, 2020 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
    Every week on Wed, until Apr 29, 2020, 7 occurrence(s)
    Mar 18, 2020 06:00 PM
    Mar 25, 2020 06:00 PM
    Apr 1, 2020 06:00 PM
    Apr 8, 2020 06:00 PM
    Apr 15, 2020 06:00 PM
    Apr 22, 2020 06:00 PM
    Apr 29, 2020 06:00 PM

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Weekly: https://zoom.us/meeting/tJYpf-iqrTopzzvc9qFvjypj-z0zzCC0rg/ics?icsToken=98tyKuCqqjMrGNeUs139a7YvW4X8bM_ukmtUvKAEjTnzCTlDaE7sZvhYEZEvAt-B

One tap mobile
+19292056099,,924812313# US (New York)
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Dial by your location
    +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
    +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 924 812 313
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/acvZiwlUXn