Halfway through a Friday, the most definitive sounds along Locust Walk are those of shuffling feet and immutable construction.
But for dozens of Penn's Muslim students, faculty and staff, there is a different sound ringing in their ears:
the Islamic Call to Prayer.
Students were invited to experience the Jummah, or Friday Prayers, with the Muslim Students Association as part of last week's Islam Awareness Week.
Intended to be on College Green, Friday Prayers were moved to the second floor of the ARCH Building on Locust Walk due to rain.
College sophomore Suhail Dar performs the call to prayer for Penn's Friday services. Dar said it "creates an atmosphere for Muslims that what they are about to hear is God's word."
During the Jummah, the MSA hosted the secretary general of the International Muslims Organization, Shaykh Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqui, as the "khatib," or sermonizer.
In his sermon, Siddiqui discussed the differences between American Muslims and European Muslims - Siddiqui is from the United Kingdom.
Historically, Siddiqui said the migration of Muslims to America was a move for "professionals seeking better jobs." In Europe, Muslims were largely "migrants from the working class" who "lived in what amounted to slums."
Siddiqui linked many of the differences American and European Muslims have to their varied backgrounds.
Siddiqui said that, on issues like Salman Rushdie's publication of The Satanic Verses and the recent Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad, Muslim audiences were shocked and outraged by the "insensitive insults," and that "no one benefited from those incidents."
In Britain, Siqqidui promoted efforts to create "sustainable civility" between Muslims and non-Muslims. He hoped that would include "civilized debate" without "malicious recklessness."
College senior Artina Sheikh, vice president of MSA, said that, "while Friday Prayers are special, we'd like to share this with the rest of Penn's campus."
"I'm fascinated by Islam," College senior Ashley McArthur said. "I'm a Christian, and I've gotten to know the Muslims here because I feel we have a lot to share."
MSA President Samir Malik, a College and Wharton senior, agreed with this sentiment.
"The different faces at this week's events showed what this is all about," he said.
