Ground was broken Friday for the Rifai Institute, a new center for interfaith and intercultural study on the Valparaiso University campus.
Dr. Hytham Rifai, a local neurologist, gave a substantial gift to make the $5 million structure a reality.
Previous VU President Mark Heckler suggested the building, Rifai said. “We are a Lutheran University, but we are open-minded,” he said.
Rifai came to the United States from Damascus, Syria, to study medicine at the University of Illinois in Chicago. His wife and children are all VU graduates.
“I’ve paid enough tuition to Valpo University to have a small piece of campus,” Rifai joked.
VU attracted lots of students from the Persian Gulf, Rifai said. The new institute will acclimate American students to different cultures overseas where they might pursue careers as well as offer Islamic students a place to worship. “They were always moving from one place to another,” Rifai said.
The building was designed by an architect in Syria and modified by an American architect to meet local building codes.
The 7,000-square-foot building will feature a walk-out basement and a 75-foot tower for calling worshipers to prayer.
“It’s got a classroom, a library, an office for the department chair” as well as a prayer room, said project manager Andy Qunell, of VRQ LLC. “It’s a beautiful, ornate building.”
Construction is expected to be completed in time for the 2025-26 school year, Rifai said.
Rifai Institute Director Ossama Abdelgawwad, a theology professor at VU, said the dream is to enhance mutual cultural understanding. The building will be helpful in understanding different faith traditions.
Abdelgawwad has taken students to the Northwest Indiana Islamic Center in Merrillville and to Eastern Orthodox churches to learn more about their faiths.
Rifai’s daughter Jena Rifai noted that Islam emerged from a family of Abrahamic religions, along with Judaism and Christianity. “I love the way my professor described this as a part of a family, as a part of a broader community,” she said.
“Let us pray that it becomes a space where there is always a supportive, collaborative and vibrant community, a place filled with tight-knit friendships, a place where people ask questions, learn and grow together and take part in respectful and fruitful discussions,” she said.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan helped turn a shovelful of dirt for the groundbreaking.
“Our nation was founded on the principles of freedom and the freedom of religion, this freedom that recognizes the deep diversity of faiths that contribute to the rich tapestry of society,” he said. “This prayer center stands as a testament to that commitment, a commitment to inclusivity, respect and understanding.
“In a time when our world often feels divided, it’s moments like this that we understand what brings us together, and coming together in unity and understanding, our humanity and the involvement of this university, is a foundation of learning,” Mrvan said.
Mayor Jon Costas said the highlight of his day was getting to know the Rifai family better. “You can see the closeness, their commitment to family, their commitment to education, their commitment to their community, and of course their generosity.”
The city has always valued the power of education, he said. “Both Valparaiso University and our faith community are perfectly aligned with our city’s vision of fostering a community where all cultures and faiths are welcomed,” Costas said.
Construction will create jobs and stimulate local businesses, contributing to Valpo’s economic vitality, but beyond the economic benefits the Rifai Institute will play a crucial role in fostering social coaching, Costas said.
VU President José Padilla said the Rifai Institute, like the Lutheran university “calls for us to love our brothers and sisters.”
“Faith calls followers to run to the sounds of suffering, the cries of distress, the pleas for justice,” Padilla said.
“Our country is so divided in so many different ways, and what you’re doing here just shows that, as the prophet Isaiah says, you’re a repairer of the breach.”
“May this building be a beacon of welcome and the center of hospitality meet the community that forms within its walls be a place where people feel at home a source of comfort and a characteristic of spiritual sustenance and insight,” University Pastor Kate Museus said.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
