“The Lord protects strangers,” the psalmist declares this Sunday. Catholic colleges do a pretty good job, too, at least according to an increasing number of Muslim students who choose to attend Roman Catholic schools rather than secular ones because they prefer a place where talking about religious beliefs and adherence to a religious code are accepted and even encouraged.”I like the fact that there's faith, even if it's not my faith, and I feel my faith is respected,” said Maha Haroon, a Muslim born in Pakistan who attends Creighton University in Nebraska.

The flow of students from the Muslim world into American colleges and universities has grown sharply in recent years, and women, though still far outnumbered by men, account for a rising share. No definitive figures are available, but interviews with students and administrators at several Catholic institutions indicate an even faster rate of growth there, with the Muslim student population generally doubling over the past decade and the number of Muslim women tripling or more.

At those schools, many Muslim students said they believe that they are more accepted than they would be at secular schools. Haroon and her twin sister, Zoha, said they chose Creighton based in part on features rooted in its religious identity, such as community service requirements and theology classes that shed light on how different faiths approach ethical issues. “I don’t have to leave my faith at home when I come to school,” Maha said.

Source: An article by Richard Pérez-Peña for the New York Times