In the minds of many, the practice of Islam and the acceptance of cultural diversity are two ideas that do not necessarily flow together.
In the mind of Chaplain Khalid Latif, there is no divide.
“It is most definitely acceptable for a variety of cultures to exist within the Muslim paradigm,” he said.
He spoke to more than 60 people Tuesday night in the Reitz Union’s Rion Ballroom. The event was organized by UF’s Islam on Campus as part of Islam Awareness Month.
Latif, 27, is the Chaplain of New York University and the New York City Police Department.
He was paid $1,200 to speak, said Ismail ibn Ali, the group’s president.
Latif discussed the complexities of addressing Muslim diversity.
He emphasized that Islamic tradition calls for diversity while noting that some people just don’t get it.
“You see a lot of people who just don’t know how to deal with people who are not like themselves,” he said.
Through his work at NYU, he has firsthand experience with misconceptions about what it means to be a Muslim.
He told a story of a conversation he had with a young Japanese woman who was afraid to convert to Islam.
When Latif asked her why, she said she had heard from older Muslims that, if she converted, she would have to marry a Japanese man to be a good Muslim.
Latif could not believe it.
“That is actually the furthest thing from anything that can be remotely called Islam,” he said.
Karim Khan, a microbiology and political science sophomore, said he appreciated how Latif was able to highlight the differences in perspective between older and younger Muslims.
“I can relate a lot to not being able to relate to my parents’ culture,” he said.
Ali was impressed with Latif’s scholarly knowledge of the faith, especially for his age.
After the speech, Latif suggested community service as a way of uniting students across faiths to better understand diversity in religion.
“You don’t have to be of a certain faith to paint a house, to tutor a kid or serve someone a hot meal.”
