Harvard Doesn’t Have a Shia Muslim Chaplain. Students Say They May Not Need One

Harvard does not have a University-ordained chaplain for Shia Muslim affiliates on campus, but some Shia students said it has not significantly impacted their experience at Harvard.

Out of Harvard’s 44 chaplains, only two are Muslim, and both of them Sunni. Harvard Chaplains offer support for students and staff across the University for their religious and spiritual needs.

Most of the Muslims on Harvard’s campus — and the world — are Sunni. Sunnis and Shias agree on most Islamic principles, though there are differences in religious law that can create distinct traditions and practices.

The differences in the two main sects of Islam have prompted discourse among Harvard’s Muslim students on how to provide representation for Shia students.

According to several students, the idea of a new Shia imam has long been raised as a potential solution.

Khalil Abdur-Rashid, one of the two Muslim chaplains, wrote in a statement that the Office of the Muslim Chaplaincy at Harvard “serves the needs of all Muslim students, both Sunni and Shia.”

While he acknowledged this doesn’t mean “there is no need for a Shia Chaplain,” Abdur-Rashid wrote that the office aims to fulfill the “religious, communal, and spiritual needs” of all Muslim students.

During Umrah, an annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia organized by the Muslim chaplaincy, and overall campus programming, he and Chaplain Samia Omar “make sure that the particular religious rites” of Shia students are “easily facilitated,” he wrote.

As a result, some Shia students said that they didn’t feel the need to have a chaplain of their own.

“I never felt the need to isolate in the sense that I didn't feel the need that there needed to be a Shia chaplain, or that having a chaplain would make my life as a Shia Muslim on Harvard’s campus so much better,” said Ali H. Dabaje ’24.

“Instead, I kind of seek to integrate myself and the Shia community within the greater body of Islam, of the Muslim community in the context of Harvard,” he added.

While at the College, Dabaje worked closely with other Harvard Muslims as a leader in the Harvard Islamic Society, advocating for a new position of Director of Shia Programming to bring greater representation to Shias.

According to Dabaje, the more pertinent question for him is: “How do we create an inclusive space for the Shia Muslims within the greater Muslim community?”

“One of the key core principles of Shia Islam is to integrate into the community that you find yourself in, not to necessarily be a separatist,” he added.

Ali A. Makani ’24, who identifies as Shia, echoed these sentiments, explaining that Abdur-Rashid has been “remarkable.” He also pointed to the Harvard Divinity School’s Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Professor Ali S. A. Asani ’77 as “active voices in the Shia world” and resources for Shia students at Harvard.

“Representation matters,” he said, but students shouldn’t “fall into this trap of identity-based religion.”

Still, Dabaje acknowledged that there was disagreement within the Shia community, and some students welcomed the prospect of a Shia chaplain.

In general, other faiths have a broader range of representation in campus chaplaincies. There are chaplains for a variety of Christian denominations, from two Southern Baptists to one Lutheran Campus Ministry, and Jewish students have the option of engaging with either Chabad or Hillel.

According to The Crimson’s survey of the Class of 2027, a little over 3 percent of the incoming students were Muslim, trailing slightly behind students identifying as Hindu (5.2 percent) and Jewish (5.4 percent).

Dabaje also pointed to not only the small population of Shia Muslims at Harvard but also that Shia people have been “marginalized, persecuted and oppressed throughout history.”

Some students, like Reza M. Shamji ’25, proposed ideas to increase Shia representation on campus.

“I think it would be helpful to have a space where we really do outwardly show that we are Shia, so that other new Shia students or people can feel welcomed into an environment where they can speak,” he said.

“The only hard part is because the majority of Muslims in the world, and, of course, the majority of Muslims here are Sunni, it is a bit hard for me to connect all the time to the Sunni Muslims, not because we’re not friends — we’re great friends — but just with regards to specific faith practices,” he explained.

Still, Shamji said he has felt “more than welcome by the Sunni Muslims” and the current Harvard chaplains.

For a Shia chaplain to be added, Abdur-Rashid explained that the University requires an application that includes demonstrated need from students. Chaplain roles are voluntary and not compensated.

Despite some gaps in representation, students generally expressed appreciation for the Muslim community at Harvard.

“All of the Muslims here, they truly treat me with so much respect and care, kindness, and everyone makes me feel so welcomed,” Shamji said. “And that’s why I actually love this place.”

—Staff writer Rachael A. Dziaba can be reached at rachael.dziaba@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @rachaeldziaba.

—Staff writer Aisatu J. Nakoulima can be reached at aisatu.nakoulima@thecrimson.com.