After years of insecurity, the Muslim Student Association (MSA) has recently been granted a permanent Friday prayer space at the Hall Building on the Sir George William campus.
“We have been fighting with the applied human science department for about four years for the secure use of room H-721 at the Hall Building,” said Bilal Hamideh, the president of the MSA.
Room H-721 is used by the applied human science department to help in their interactive teaching methods. This room does not have its desks anchored to the floor and allows groups to move desks and chairs.
The MSA has been using room H-721 for more than 10 years, but now the MSA now has a contract that allows them to use H-711, H-713 and H-721 every Friday.
H-711 and H-713 are under the control of the dean of students office.
After several meetings with Donald Boisvert, dean of students, Hamideh and the Dean drafted a contract for the use of H-721, H-711, and H-713 for a period of three years. The contract was signed on Oct. 19.
Previously, the applied human science department held classes in H-721 and the MSA used it only when it was empty. Hamideh felt that the Muslim student population needed a more secure space.
According to Hamideh, getting the applied human science department to agree to a contract was not easy. They first refused the MSA’s demand for a permanent prayer space for weekly Friday prayer. When Hamideh decided this was not fair, he wrote a letter and got backing from 20 other student associations, including the Concordia Student Union.
He added that this letter requested the applied human science department to grant H-721 to the MSA for regular daily prayer. The department completely refused, he said, so the MSA requested the room for a weekly prayer space and the department reluctantly complied.
“I am happy to accommodate Muslim students on a long term basis,” said Randy Swedburg, chair of the applied human science department. “We were willing to give up some class space. The university is strapped for space, that is why when space like this is needed it needs to be negotiated.”
“Muslim students have been holding regular Friday prayer sessions for about 20 years, and they felt that they needed a more secure and permanent use of the space they use,” said Boisvert.
About 600 to 700 people attend the weekly Friday prayer session held by the MSA in H-721.
“Right now, there are no classes in this room, so I do not understand why the applied human science department is so angry about us using this space,” said Hamideh.
But there is also the problem of Muslim daily prayer space. The MSA attempted to get a contract to use H-721 for daily prayer and negotiations are ongoing. The MSA is not currently satisfied with their current daily prayer spaces which are being forced upon them by administration.
The women’s prayer space is currently in a very small room across from the CSU’s office. When the MSA asked for a new space, they were told to use the old men’s prayer space at 2090 Mackay St. But the women feel that they will not be secure in this building, because the room is in the basement and there is no phone. As for the men, they were asked to move to 2020 Mackay St. for their prayer space,
even though the previous users of the room abandoned it because they felt it was unsanitary.
“I had a cleaning company come in and do an inspection and they told me that there is damage in the foundation of the building and that when it rains, rust will accumulate and also damage the outside walls,” said Hamideh.
He is currently trying to secure room H-711 for a Muslim daily prayer space for both men and women. If the bid is successful, the MSA will set up dividers so that they can accommodate both men and women in one room. H-711 is currently under the direction of Donald Boisvert and is currently used as an activity room for all clubs to use. Hamideh says that negotiations with the co-ordinator of student affairs have not been going well.
“I am expected to meet with the dean of students soon, but it seems that he is not liking the idea of us using this space as well,” said Hamideh.
Boisvert said that daily prayer space is being considered and he would not comment further on the matter.
“We have been fighting with the applied human science department for about four years for the secure use of room H-721 at the Hall Building,” said Bilal Hamideh, the president of the MSA.
Room H-721 is used by the applied human science department to help in their interactive teaching methods. This room does not have its desks anchored to the floor and allows groups to move desks and chairs.
The MSA has been using room H-721 for more than 10 years, but now the MSA now has a contract that allows them to use H-711, H-713 and H-721 every Friday.
H-711 and H-713 are under the control of the dean of students office.
After several meetings with Donald Boisvert, dean of students, Hamideh and the Dean drafted a contract for the use of H-721, H-711, and H-713 for a period of three years. The contract was signed on Oct. 19.
Previously, the applied human science department held classes in H-721 and the MSA used it only when it was empty. Hamideh felt that the Muslim student population needed a more secure space.
According to Hamideh, getting the applied human science department to agree to a contract was not easy. They first refused the MSA’s demand for a permanent prayer space for weekly Friday prayer. When Hamideh decided this was not fair, he wrote a letter and got backing from 20 other student associations, including the Concordia Student Union.
He added that this letter requested the applied human science department to grant H-721 to the MSA for regular daily prayer. The department completely refused, he said, so the MSA requested the room for a weekly prayer space and the department reluctantly complied.
“I am happy to accommodate Muslim students on a long term basis,” said Randy Swedburg, chair of the applied human science department. “We were willing to give up some class space. The university is strapped for space, that is why when space like this is needed it needs to be negotiated.”
“Muslim students have been holding regular Friday prayer sessions for about 20 years, and they felt that they needed a more secure and permanent use of the space they use,” said Boisvert.
About 600 to 700 people attend the weekly Friday prayer session held by the MSA in H-721.
“Right now, there are no classes in this room, so I do not understand why the applied human science department is so angry about us using this space,” said Hamideh.
But there is also the problem of Muslim daily prayer space. The MSA attempted to get a contract to use H-721 for daily prayer and negotiations are ongoing. The MSA is not currently satisfied with their current daily prayer spaces which are being forced upon them by administration.
The women’s prayer space is currently in a very small room across from the CSU’s office. When the MSA asked for a new space, they were told to use the old men’s prayer space at 2090 Mackay St. But the women feel that they will not be secure in this building, because the room is in the basement and there is no phone. As for the men, they were asked to move to 2020 Mackay St. for their prayer space,
even though the previous users of the room abandoned it because they felt it was unsanitary.
“I had a cleaning company come in and do an inspection and they told me that there is damage in the foundation of the building and that when it rains, rust will accumulate and also damage the outside walls,” said Hamideh.
He is currently trying to secure room H-711 for a Muslim daily prayer space for both men and women. If the bid is successful, the MSA will set up dividers so that they can accommodate both men and women in one room. H-711 is currently under the direction of Donald Boisvert and is currently used as an activity room for all clubs to use. Hamideh says that negotiations with the co-ordinator of student affairs have not been going well.
“I am expected to meet with the dean of students soon, but it seems that he is not liking the idea of us using this space as well,” said Hamideh.
Boisvert said that daily prayer space is being considered and he would not comment further on the matter.
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