Dear Editor:
The Eagle article about Mr. Fadel Soliman, AU's Muslim chaplain, has generated considerable discussion and debate, particularly in light of the national security concerns generated by the terrible acts of terrorism perpetuated against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. According to President Bush, the nation is at war, and the citizenry is urged to maintain a state of heightened vigilance. Of particular concern to Congress and the White House are Arab and Muslim organizations. This has inevitably created anxiety and uncertainty for many of AU's Muslim and Arab students. It is against this backdrop that The Eagle reported on Soliman's association with a charity group that is being investigated by the Senate Finance Committee for its alleged ties to terrorist organizations.
In the interest of promoting better understanding of our work at the Kay Spiritual Life Center, I thought it appropriate to clarify the procedure used for the selection of chaplains. About two years ago we welcomed Soliman into the fellowship of chaplains affiliated with the center. Soliman and all the other chaplains (with the exception of the University chaplain) are not paid by the University even as they seek to respond to the spiritual needs of their particular faith communities. The University is involved in the selection of none of AU's chaplains. In each case they are either recommended to us by the governing bodies of their particular ecclesiastical or religious organizations or they are recommended to us by student devotees of that particular faith. In keeping with our mission of providing hospitality and encouraging broad interfaith understanding, the views of extant staff are solicited. All recommended chaplains are asked to sign an agreement stipulating conformity with certain norms. The operative principle is that those welcomed into our midst have "a known practice and willingness to relate with existing Kay Spiritual Life staff in mutual respect. Specifically, there is no proselytizing of members of the university community at AU or elsewhere." Soliman has fulfilled these expectations and demonstrated himself to be a worthy member of the corpus of the University chaplains.
Soliman was brought to my attention by the Muslim students and came highly recommended by them. They felt that he was ably prepared to meet their spiritual needs and provide helpful guidance and leadership. Since his arrival I have received much praise and no complaints from anyone in the Muslim community.
Since his arrival Soliman has demonstrated over and over his willingness to participate in interfaith dialogue and has become a valued member of the KSLC staff. For example, after the 9-11 tragedy Soliman joined the other chaplains in a memorial/prayer service for the victims and their families. Over the past couple of years he joined in many discussions about Islam and was invited to share his perspective in classes and special programs on a number of topics associated with Muslim social teachings.
Soliman has demonstrated his commitment to the nurture of the Muslim students in their faith and practice. That record of service to this university and to our Muslim brothers and sisters must be considered, as well as the call for a full examination of the accusations against him. We must all be sensitive as well to unintended consequences of The Eagle's right to report and opine. And The Eagle's editorial got it exactly right when it restated the core constitutional principle that in America, everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
Joe Eldridge University Chaplain
