UCLA has done what Duke eventually chose not to but claims it was just part of an event.

Valerie Richardson of the Washington Times reports.

UCLA defends Muslim call to prayer as one-time event

UCLA is under fire for sounding a public call to Muslim prayer, but a campus official says it was a one-time event conducted by students hosting a weekend conference.

University spokesman Phil Hampton released a statement Friday after several websites reported that the campus had conducted a call to Muslim prayer, known as adhan. The posts linked to a video of the campus at which the call could be heard posted Jan. 17 on YouTube.

Mr. Hampton said students issued the call to prayer during a student conference last weekend sponsored by the Muslim Students Association.

“The call to prayer was played over a portable device in a campus quad during a conference last weekend hosted by the Muslim Student Association, one of nearly 1,000 registered student groups on campus,” Mr. Hampton said in a statement.

“While UCLA respects freedom of religion and assembly and values the diversity of students’ beliefs, a public call to prayer is not a regularly scheduled occurrence at UCLA,” he said.

Duke University cancelled plans a week ago for a weekly call to Muslim prayer from its chapel bell tower after a highly publicized backlash from alumni, donors and Christian pastor Franklin Graham.

The annual MSA West Conference was held Jan. 16-18 at UCLA with the theme, “Rooted In. Rise Up. Solidarity Through Stories.”

A video promoting the conference shows students holding signs with messages such as, “Equality,” “Piety,” “Service,” “Against Islamophobia,” “Against Racism,” “Diversity” and “Divest.”

“In his final sermon, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) addressed issues concerning the sanctity of life, equality of all races, women’s rights and freedom to all,” says the video message.

Citing Muhammad, the video continues, “An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab. Also a white has no superiority over black, nor a black has any superiority over white, except by piety and good action.”

In a Jan. 18 post in American Thinker, writer Carol Brown described the campus call for prayer as “an act of Islamic supremacism,” and urged readers to voice their objections to University of California President Janet Napolitano and others affiliated with UCLA.