http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/15/us/duke-call-to-prayer/(CNN)—The Muslim call to prayer will sound from a bell tower at North Carolina's Duke University -- but not everyone is considering the chant music to the ear.
Starting Friday, the Duke Muslim Students Association will chant the call, or adhan, from the Duke Chapel bell tower. The adhan signals the beginning of the weekly prayer service. It's ubiquitous in Muslim countries the world over; not so in the Carolina piedmont.
The call will last three minutes and will be only "moderately amplified," the school said.
Duke, which got its start in the late 19th century with help from the Methodist church, says the move "represents a larger commitment to religious pluralism that is at the heart of Duke's mission."
"It connects the university to national trends in religious accommodation," said Christy Lohr Sapp, the chapel's associate dean for religious life.
Various Christian denominations hold prayer and worship services in the chapel. The school also has spaces dedicated spaces on campus for various faiths, including Jews, Hindus and Buddhists.
"Just as the bells announce chapel worship in the building on Sundays, the adhan announces Muslim prayers on Fridays," the chapel said.
Duke is a big name nationwide. US News and World Report rated it among the top 10 American universities.
Another big name in the state is strongly denouncing the school's decision.
Franklin Graham, son of legendary evangelist Billy Graham, took to his Facebook page to call on donors to pressure the university into reversing course.
