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Dubai: 28-year old Amjad Tarsin
from Michigan, U.S. is recently hired by the University of Toronto,
Canada becoming the first Muslim chaplain of the university. Tarsin aims
to be someone students can relate to.
While his ambition is seemingly
selfless, his parents weren’t happy when he dropped out in the
middle of pursuing a law degree to take a holier path, which began
at the inter-religious Hartford Seminary in Connecticut,
Canadian’s online news site, the Star reported.
“It was a really tense time,” Tarsin said upon breaking the news
to his parents.“ They said: ‘What are you doing? You are ruining
your life!’” he said.
However, surprise was followed by
understanding, and the young chaplain proved himself by landing a
position at Canada’s biggest university, which hosts an estimated
5,000 Muslim students.
“Muslim youth want someone who has been there and can understand
what it is like to be in their shoes,” said Tarsin. “It is
important to understand the people that you are serving.”
Muslim chaplaincy has been previously occupied by volunteer imams
from the vicinity. The local Muslim community earlier this year
took measures to establish a full-time paid job, raising more than
$70,000, according to the head of the chaplaincy program board,
Ruqayyah Ahdab.
“The goal is to serve all Muslims, and beyond. This is not a call
to a particular way. This is to serve as many people as possible
and inspire them in whatever makes them a better person,” she
said.
Ahdab also said that previous instances prompted the need for
someone to provide spiritual guidance on campus for Muslim
students who were facing all kinds of difficulties in their lives.
“There is no subject that is taboo,” she said. “We want people to
feel comfortable talking about things, and asking about things
they might normally not feel comfortable talking about.”
Enter Tarsin, who was chosen from 20 male and female candidates
who had a range of backgrounds from community leader to prison
chaplain.
Tarsin will begin his job next month. Among his plans are setting
up religious study groups, leading Friday prayers, boost
interfaith activities, aside providing on-campus counseling.
The first semester of the program
will be predominantly hosted in the St. George campus downtown,
and expand to sister campuses over the course of time.
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