Students walk past Convocation Hall at the University of Toronto.Sami Siva
The University of Toronto has hired its first full-time Muslim chaplain and the man taking up the post hopes to combat stereotypes surrounding the faith.
Amjad Tarsin is a 28-year-old of Libyan descent who hails from Ann Arbour, Mich. He began to devote himself to the religion when he was in university, dropping out of law school to get a degree in Muslim chaplaincy.
Mr. Tarsin sees himself as a different kind of minister, one who has travelled the world and identifies himself as a movie buff — especially when it comes to Japanese samurai films and "The Lord of the Rings" series.
"I think it's important for students to realize they can still be Muslim and still be uniquely themselves," he said.
Mr. Tarsin's goal is to have an open dialogue with students and create a strong Canadian Muslim identity on a campus with close to 5,000 Muslim students.
Ruqayyah Ahdab, managing director of the Muslim Chaplaincy at the university, considers Mr. Tarsin a refreshing change from the perceived norm.
"People have a preconceived notion of what a chaplain is, and while that's helpful we would like to break the barriers and be creative about what a chaplain can be," she said.
"When we're developing a Canadian Muslim identity, it's not prescriptive. There's no checklist of what you have to fulfil to be a model Muslim."
To fill the position, the Muslim Students Association raised $70,000 with an online campaign that began in June. Funding came from around the world, with contributions pouring in from as far away as Denmark.
Aisha Raja, president of the association, said Mr. Tarsin will cater to a real need among students.
"The university campus is huge and we wanted someone to be there on a 24-hour basis because the need (for guidance) is so pressing." she said. "Part-time didn't cut it."
Richard Chambers, the director of the university's Multi-Faith Centre, agreed, saying it was about time the university had a full-time Muslim chaplain.
"It's simply a reflection of Canadian history and immigration ... We didn't have a big Muslim population until the early 70s," Mr. Chambers said.
"A chaplain can be a helpful sound board to guide students through their development and time in university."
Mr. Tarsin — who begins work Oct. 1 — has been hired for one year and the $70,000 raised by students covers only the initial costs for his appointment. For the chaplaincy to become sustainable, donations will have to keep rolling in.
"The first question our organization is constantly trying to find an answer to is how to shift away from crowd sourcing," said Ms. Ahbad. "We have hope that we'll be able to continue a year from now."