Imam Abdullah Antepli, chief representative of Muslim affairs and adjunct faculty of Islamic studies at Duke University, gave the morning prayer Oct. 4 at the U.S. House of Representatives where he urged acceptance of differences over allowing those differences to pull each other apart.
“Enable us to understand, appreciate and celebrate our differences,” he said. “Teach and guide us to turn these differences into opportunities, richness and strength. Prevent us from turning them into sources of division, polarization, hate and bigotry. Most merciful one, this incredible, diverse nation of ours is one of the most successful attempts to understand your wisdom in creating us differently.”
Antepli, who was Duke’s first Muslim chaplain, was invited to be guest chaplain and give the prayer Wednesday by Rep. David Price (D-NC). Earlier that day, Antepli and Price featured in an event at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center called “Faith in Public Life,” which was moderated by Rabia Chaudry, host of the podcast “Undisclosed” and cybersecurity analyst.
Antepli has given the morning prayer one other time in March of 2010. Video of Wednesday’s prayer can be viewed at C-Span here.
