Reflections by members of the College’s Muslim community
in any way monolithic. While all share a common faith, this is an enormously diverse group, and that is one of its greatest strengths. From across year groups, nationalities, ethnicities, cultures and all manner of other identities, stu- dents come together every Friday for the Jumma prayer. Strengthening the understanding of one’s own identity makes it far easier to find confidence in one’s place in the wider Dulwich College community, which enables every student to make the most of all the opportunities afforded here. The amount of care provided by Mr Weaver over the years, as well as Reverend Buckler’s nurturing of our community, cannot be overstated, and so to them, we owe a great deal of thanks. Zaki Kabir (Year 12) The Muslim community is a close-knit group of boys, and it provides an additional layer of community alongside the vertical House system that we already enjoy. I greatly appreciated the support from the older boys in the Islam- ic Society when I first joined the College. At that time we were in the midst of Covid lockdowns. The weekly Friday prayers have been a chance for us all to connect in per- son and recharge; for that reason, it remains a highlight of my school week. A’yaan Abdul-Mughis (Year 11) The Muslim community at the College has not only helped me to come closer to my prayers, but also to gain a sense of community. I have developed friendships with fellow Muslims in both the years above and the years below, through regular attendance of the Jumma prayers as well as enjoying eating pizza together at the end of each term. Events allowing me to meet OAs have furthered this wel- coming feeling, with engaging discussions that have helped me to deepen my understanding of my community and of the religion as a whole. I am excited to see what the future brings for Islamic Society! Daniyal Khan (Year 12) At Dulwich, the members of the Muslim community are very close to one another; this has helped me, especially after our year at home due to Covid. All these fantastic people were around me, and were always eager to help with any problems I had, as brothers, regardless of their ages. I am proud of our community and its ability to pro- vide support, guidance and belonging. I have got to know people who may share the same faith, but who come from diverse cultural backgrounds, which has afforded me great opportunities to learn from others. Khizar Hassan (Year 13)
people a side that maybe people have never seen before. I wish them all the best and – long live the King! CP : Can I just say Errol, thank you for your commitment to this partnership. I’ve always loved my time spent at your school and meeting your colleagues and pupils. EC : Thank you to you and Jenny as well. Sometimes we don’t mention both of you, but you have both been in- strumental in making sure the partnership does work and thank you to all your staff. ◎
joining CPD sessions and training sessions and vice versa. I think it’s about building on what we have, and growing it step by step. What we have at the moment works. It’s about continuing to develop this and looking at fun things for young people to be competitive with each other. CP : We have a coronation on Saturday. What would your message be to the new King and Queen? EC : I wish them all the best. They have been through a lot and they have lost as well. They have shown the British
We are so lucky to have such a vibrant and thriving Islamic Society, which provides much in the way of spiritual sup- port and community to all of its members. The benefits this brings with it are profound, as the experience of being a member of a religious and an ethnic minority can be an isolating one. However, thanks to the camaraderie that has developed over the years between the students, a network has grown that allows all to find commonality and unity in shared experiences and goals. Yet this shared identity does not mean that the College’s Muslim community is
CELEBRATING THE COLLEGE’S MUSLIM COMMUNITY Robert Weaver, who has been privileged to hold the role of Master with Responsibility for Muslims at the College since 1992, takes a look back at an aspect of College community life which is not often in the spotlight
more moving in its quiet way than a moment at the end of a Michaelmas term when I heard a young Muslim student chant, from the Salle, the Adhan call to prayer with sure unwavering treble voice. Knowing that Christ- mas carols were being sung down the road in the Col- lege Chapel, I felt that this was testimony to the positive uniting power of religion in this divided world. Thanks are due to the chaplains, who have all shown interest and support for the community, none more so than the Reverend Tim Buckler, our present incumbent. I trust that the witness of the College Muslim com- munity will continue to flourish in the years to come, enriched by the recently set up OA Muslims link, with thanks for all their sharing of experience and support for what, within HMC schools, must serve as a flagship activity, a beacon of what is best and positive in a faith community within our great institution. ◎ Mr Robert Weaver, Adam Sheriff OA, Shezore Adil OA, Hussain Azami OA, and Bilal Azami (Year 13)
I n the early 1990s the then Master, Anthony Verity (himself an Arabist as well as a Classicist by training), wished to provide facilities for the growing Muslim presence at the College, principally for the weekly Jumma prayers observed on Friday lunchtimes. It was my privilege through my then role as Head of Religion and Theology to set this up, and we recruited the good offices of a local retired imam, Mr Qumruddin, to lead the prayers and to preach the Kutbah sermon for some 60 students who attended. Jumma was held for some years in one of the main exercise rooms within the Sports Centre, providing then, as now, an unobtru- sive but meaningful witness to the spiritual dimension of College life. Student demography has changed but the community has maintained its presence up to the present time, bar the interlude of the pandemic, now convening within the Science Block. Those attending in- clude the full range of students, from the Junior School through to the Upper School.
One of the most impressive features of this communal activity is the way the students themselves have organ- ised proceedings and regulated themselves, initiating new and younger members into the traditions. In the days when denominational assemblies operated, Mus- lim assemblies attracted noteworthy outside speakers, as did the Society for the study of Islam, in lunchtimes. When religious controversy raged internationally, as with Salman Rushdie’s writings, this community made their disquiet known, but in peaceful and effective ways. One of the continuing blessings of College life has been the mutual respect shown for the many differ- ent religious traditions represented in the student body, and for a number of years an annual ‘Hand of Friend- ship’ soccer match, played between teams involving Muslim and Hindu students, was a regular feature of the charity calendar. Having observed most of these events as a staff presence, I retain with affection a number of memories. None was
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THE ALLEYNIAN 711
COLLEGE COMMUNITY
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