The Diwan Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Yasin Ahmed as the first Muslim chaplain at Cornell University. This follows a comprehensive candidate review process inclusive of students, alumni, other Cornell and college chaplains, and Ithaca community members. He will begin in his role on August 18.

The addition of a Muslim chaplain brings Cornell University on par with peer Ivy League institutions like Yale, Harvard, and Columbia, as well as countless colleges and universities across the country.  Unlike other institutions, Cornell’s charter does not provide funding for religious positions.  Through the efforts of The Diwan Foundation, the Muslim chaplaincy position at Cornell will instead be funded by the generosity of alumni as well as students, families and other supporters.

Calls for a Muslim chaplain came from students, alumni, faculty, and campus chaplains.  Yasin Ahmed joins over thirty chaplains at Cornell United Religious Work (CURW) who have been tremendously supportive of the need for a Muslim chaplain.  Reverend Clarke West, the chaplain for the Episcopal Church of Cornell, recently wrote: “Our Muslim students are such an asset and gift to our community. We have so much to learn from them. As a chaplain, I know how much we miss having a Muslim voice at our weekly chaplains’ meetings.” 

The appointment of a Muslim chaplain at Cornell could not come at a more pressing time.  One student expressed the need to the Diwan board poignantly after a fellow Muslim friend committed suicide.  The student felt a Muslim chaplain could have helped his friend and relieved fellow students from feeling the brunt of responsibility in helping him through such issues.  A chaplain was also sought to support students as they navigate issues such as Islamophobia, drug and alcohol abuse, relationships, and mental health issues, etc.

In addition to providing pastoral care to Muslim and non-Muslim students, Diwan envisions that a Muslim chaplain would help establish a “big tent of Islam” under which all self-professing Muslims will feel welcome. A student wrote to Diwan speaking to this point: “We need a chaplain to help resolve issues, and we need a chaplain because as a Muslim American, my struggles are unique and shaped by my identity.”  

Ahmed is completing a Masters at Hartford Seminary in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations with a Graduate Certificate in Islamic Chaplaincy. Dr. Feryal Salem, co-director of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program at Hartford, says, “Yasin has a genuine sense of devotion to his faith and seems to portray a love of God in all he does. He has a gentle demeanor that enables him to connect with everyone he meets and the students he works with. He is in the top 5th percentile of all the Muslim chaplains we have trained over the years—he is from the cream of the crop. Anywhere he goes will be immensely fortunate. A wise and strategic investment for Cornell's long-term.”

Ahmed also commonly speaks on Islamophobia, the American Muslim experience, and community development with Common Ground Services, where he is head of Strategic Development.  “He is very open to speaking to the entire spectrum of every religion,” offered Dr. Maureen Rovegno, the Association Director of Religion at the Chautauqua Institute, who employed Yasin for one of their very large interfaith summer programs. Ms. Faria Abedin, coordinator of the Princeton University Mizaan Camp, remembers him fondly, “He’s so authentic. He has a great, dry sense of humor, and a beautiful way with adults and teens. One of his greatest strengths is making people feel comfortable—he meets people where they are.”

In the coming months, Ahmed will work closely with students, campus administration, CURW and the Diwan board to better understand the needs of the Muslim student community as he shapes the programs, activities and services of the chaplaincy. Ahmed has a record of empowering young people and building interfaith coalitions to establish strong mutually beneficial communities. Prior to joining Cornell, Ahmed served as Muslim Chaplain at Trinity College, Choate-Rosemary Hall, and Madina Academy in Connecticut.

In addition to his current training at Hartford, he has received education in the traditional Islamic Sciences at the Nakhlah Institute in Massachusetts and continues his studies with the Lantern Initiative in the New Jersey & Pennsylvania area. He previously completed a B.A. in Communications with Honors at Rutgers University.

“I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to be your chaplain and advocate,” he said. “I am committed to developing a community of wellness, led by a diverse set of students, whose objective is to please Allah. Imagine a community where you feel God, where you feel heard, understood, and accepted.  Imagine a prophetic community, which welcomes people as they are and inspires them to pursue something greater.” 

About The Diwan Foundation

In 2005, a few Muslim alumni self-organized to support coordinated Muslim life programming on campus, forming The Diwan Foundation. In 2007, Diwan officially announced the chaplaincy as its flagship initiative and began attempting to mobilize alumni in this cause.

For more information about Diwan’s work as well as how you can support the Muslim chaplaincy and other initiatives, please visit www.thediwanfoundation.org.