The Muslim Link spoke with Imam Tarif Shraim about the new Center of Muslim Life at the University of Maryland and his mission to follow the Prophetic way of turning ordinary into extraordinary —building men and women of the community.
[The Muslim Link] Tell us about your involvement with Muslim youth in the area. What led you up to that experience?
[Tarif Shraim] For over 10 years, I have volunteered as Muslim Chaplain for the student community at the University of Maryland, College Park. I was the Assistant Muslim Chaplain before that. This opened the door to working with young adults in surrounding colleges from Georgetown to John Hopkins. I also work with a couple of masajid with younger students i.e. high schoolers- it's been a varied and diverse experience. I encountered various problems that youth face.
Growing up in Kuwait, I had a strong Islamic educational background, with a heavy focus on the Arabic language. I came here as a teenager and attended high school in Germantown and the University of Maryland, so I am very familiar with area masajid, dynamics and composition. I am a software engineer by trade, but over the past 15 years of chaplaincy, I have taken a heavy course load in positive psychology and behavior development.
University is what got me involved in Islamic activism as a student. I was the President of the Muslim Student Association in senior year and immediately after graduation, I became the Asst. Chaplain. In that capacity, I have been blessed by Allah to be able to play a big part of many young people's lives and help guide in their lives.
The past decade of working on college campuses has also shown me that college life can be the most crucial turning point for an individual, who may fork into vulnerable routes, if not properly mentored and counseled. For decades, other faith communities have invested millions of dollars on college campuses to provide religious resources and services to develop their students and connect them back to their respective faith communities, but our Muslim community has been lagging behind.
[TML] What is the purpose of the Center of Muslim Life project? What are the plans of having a Muslim chaplaincy at UMD and the new organization - Center of Muslim Life MD (CMLMD)?
[TS] The University of Maryland, being a public institution, cannot financially compensate religious figures for their services. Faith communities financially support religious chaplaincies that serve public universities. The university recognizes chaplaincy and pastoral care; they appoint the chaplains, but cannot compensate the chaplains.
People of other faiths have entire centers with services for students. First, we want to fund a full-time position at UMD under the auspice of CML MD. The, we want to go beyond full-time chaplaincy to programming that supports the emotional and spiritual needs of Muslim students (spiritual retreats, leadership training, premarital training, advocacy work for students). Students on campuses face the same challenges that adults face outside.
Chaplains help guide a student through the college experience but also provide religious needs so they survive the climate. Chaplains also serve at advocates for students needs i.e. a place of worship. Other religions buy places on campus, but through our advocacy work we were able to acquire space. We train staff on campus, as well as members of the university administration on Islamophobia and how to best support Muslim students emotionally. We are seeking to provide serious programming to empower students. We want them to thrive, not just survive so they can serve our communities.
We are so blessed that the University of Maryland campus community is home to the largest student population in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. The students on our campus, as well as in other area colleges, hold tremendous potential for collective growth, empowerment, and resilience. Together they have the tools to mark our place and uplift both our religious communities, and the broader American community - but they must be grounded, forward-thinking, and of sound character to do this.
[TML] What is the need of this institution at this time?
[TS] The past decade of working on college campuses has also shown me that college life can be the most crucial turning point for an individual, who may fork into vulnerable routes, if not properly mentored and counseled. For decades, other faith communities have invested millions of dollars on college campuses to provide religious resources and services to develop their students and connect them back to their respective faith communities, but our Muslim community has been lagging behind.
Muslim students are not immune to depressions, emotional scars, and confusion while seeking direction in life. Sixty percent of Muslim young adults engage in risky behaviors including sex, drugs, and alcohol.
Another dimension that is critical is that students go through lots of doubt about their faith. Many have an identity and faith crisis in college as this is the first time they are away from home- chaplains are needed to ground them and answer their serious questions about Islam and the justice of Allah. Occasionally, people will leave the faith. They will meet people who are not religious and form families that are not religiously inclined. We lose activists and advocates of our faith, if we don't invest in these students, say leaders of other faiths.
In terms of social and political climate, with rising hate crimes against Muslims, many people walk around with fears and need emotional and community support. College campuses want to help them; they want to understand Muslim students in this climate; they are asking how can we help Muslim students.
[TML] What are the current services that CMLMD provides?
[TS] Currently, the new institution is providing counseling and mentorship - one on one work to help students deal with emotional and spiritual issues, gaining trust and helping them cope with their problems. We want to institutionalize the work itself and meet the needs. For complicated issues, I may refer students to professional counselors. I handled a suicide case last semester. There is a range of cases and I leverage resources that are available for me. Depending on the kind of support we get and as we acquire more resources, we will bring in more professionals and get interns involved.
We also provide regular engagement with campus administration to increase awareness of the needs of the Muslim student body and to respond to current events affecting campus.
We hold Jumah prayers [on campus] with close to 300 students; there are thousands of Muslim students on campus.
[TML] What are the benefits and the need to unite alumni in the area?
[TS] Our entire team was mentored in college— that made all the difference. Sami Zaharna, Tubah Sultan, Zayn Adoum, and Ali El Ashram are all alumni who comprise the board of CML MD. We have a successful Muslim alumni network — recognized as one of the most successful alumni association in the university system. A lot of the support has been alumni of UMD. The groundwork was laid out for three years, identifying resources. We want to produce leaders.
[TML] What is the ‘The 400 Champions’ campaign?
[TS] We are hosting our first fundraiser on Saturday December 3, 2016. One way to give is to become a champion. A Champion is a monthly recurring donor who gives a minimum of $30/month (that’s $1 a day!).
[TML] What are the roles of the parents? What can parents do to support their college age children?
[TS] We want to educate them, expose them and ask for their assistance. We started a town hall for parents to educate them about campus life, the challenges and problems that their sons and daughters go through. They will support the cause if they are involved in children's lives and change their thinking about the nature of challenges that college students go through. A lot of students complain about their parents being disinterested and want them more involved in their lives.
They think their kids are okay. They think MSA is enough. They have forgotten the college scene. Why not show up on campus, not in an adversarial role but in a supportive role. No one wants helicopter parents, however, they should understand their children’s environment. Their interest is a vote of confidence.
The third thing we are looking for are financial resources. The university believes in us, the students believe in us, the alumni believe in us. With a donation, you tell our young adults that you are worth my investment in you.
Comments powered by CComment