Welcoming to Muslims - NYTimes.com Re "More Muslims From Abroad Are Thriving in Catholic Colleges" (news article, Sept. As someone who has taught at a Catholic and Jesuit university for nearly 20 years, I'm grateful for the growing Muslim student presence at my school. The depth and diversity of experience and perspective these students bring to the classroom contribute significantly to a rich and vibrant intellectual environment that should be the hallmark of a university education. I hate to think what Fordham would be like if everyone who studied or taught here were Catholic (or Christian, for that matter); Inshallah, I will never have to find out! The writer is a professor of sociology at Fordham University.