Duke initiates, immediately cancels Muslim call to prayer from chapel

(Image credit: Sara D. Davis/Getty Images)

last updated 16 January 2015

Duke University announced Tuesday that Muslim students would be able to chant a weekly call to prayer from the iconic Duke Chapel bell tower.

Not so fast. After a Christian evangelist criticized the change, Duke reversed its decision Thursday, The News & Observer reports. Instead, the students will chant from the quad outside the chapel.

Michael Schoenfeld, Duke vice president for public affairs, indicated in a news release that Tuesday's announcement was reversed because it didn't have the unifying effect intended on campus.

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Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.