Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Oh, That Wudu That You Do

Russ Gibb’s website, Russ Gibb at Random, has an interesting posting and comment thread about plans at the local campus of the University of Michigan Dearborn to install foot baths and prayer rooms for use by Muslim students. Read through the whole comment thread.

Is this true or false?

April 26, 2007

Russ, You may have heard the uproar over the University of Minnesota constructing foot baths and prayer rooms for Muslim students. Those against this action are citing separation of church and state principles since the University of Minnesota is a state funded school and feel that any public finds should not be used for such purposes. Well, it's our turn now to be outraged. The University of Michigan Dearborn is planning on doing the same thing at its Fairlane Center Campus. Architects (Canadian architects at that) are now drawing up plans to convert restrooms and storage rooms to be used as foot baths and a prayer room. They have for some time provided a prayer room (they use the politically corrrect term "Reflection Room"). If a non-Muslim happens into the room when Muslim is using it, you get an evil eye and are asked to leave. By the way, this is the same campus that last year refused to dislpay a Christmas Tree in its lobby...or any other Christmas decoaration, stating it might offend a non-CHristian student. I am hoping that in bringing this to the public's attention (you are the first I have written to) it will bring about the same concerns that the citizens of Minnesota have. Please post this on your website so people know the two-faced and discrimitory practices used by ur state funded University of Michigan. By the way, I work at this facility, so please understand, I MUST remain anonymous


This apparently is part of a nationwide effort by the Muslim Accomodation Task Force and CAIR to accomodate Muslim preferences in all kinds of public settings. It is already happening at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, and for cabbies at the Kansas City International Airport.


The ritual foot-washing, known as wudhu, is a Muslim ritual made in preparation for prayers. Officials at MTCT say it has nothing to do with religious preference, but is a safety issue, as a student was injured last year while trying to wash her feet in the rest room sink.

Maybe this isn't so far fetched. Don't most efforts to accommodate Muslims boil down to someone's idea of a safety issue?





1 comment:

Brett Gray said...

Why don't we, the US, concentrate on making Muslims fear us instead of accommadating them? I think that would solve a lot of problems.