Muslim foot-wash stations at U reasonable

June 7th, 2007, 3:22 pm · 1 Comment · posted by lawngriffiths

What faith community has not been split, at some point, over bricks and mortar, or over whether something should be obtained or accepted for the campus? The trappings of a house of worship can be the center of bitter debate. I remember a family quitting the church in a huff when they donated the church a unsolicited refrigerator from their appliance store and leaders had the audacity to say their didnt like it and hadnt requested it. We all know how the church kitchen is a battlefield, a sacred turf where no stove or dishwasher can be purchased without agreement, negotiations and careful talks (not to mention who should even use the kitchen). The color of paint, the purchase of art, the weave of carpet or the arrangements of pews can bring turmoil. Pettiness can be contagious. While such decisions typically have to be settled in the private realm of faith communities, new skirmishes are certain when structures for religion are eyed for public places, like the request for foot-washing stations for Muslim students attending the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Seems the university plans to spend $25,000 for foot-washing stations to make it easier for Muslim students to practice their religion, according to the Council on American Islamic Relations. Muslims are to ritually wash their bodies including their feet up to five times a day before their prayers. The university wants to go ahead and spend $25,000 to accommodate them, said school spokesman Terry Gallagher. There would be floor-level stations at two bathrooms to be installed in August at the University Center and the Fairlane Center facilities. Without them, the university said, adherent Muslims will resort to what they have already been doing — washing their feet in restroom sinks. Dearborn, Mich., has one of the nations largest concentrations of Muslims. The spokesman for the campus of 8,600 student said the university doesnt track its counts of students by religions, so it wasnt clear how many student that affects. Criticism of the plan came quickly from conservatives, through blogs and talk radio. Why, they ask, should a public entity have to pay for something like this for a religious group?The university spokesman said the $100,000 bill for restroom improvements, including the foot baths, is not paid by taxpayers, but student fees. CAIRs Michigan director said it wasnt any big deal for the campus community, but the Internet conservatives couldnt miss an opportunity to get in another digs at Muslims.This whole thing came to light through some right-wing Islama-phobic bloggers that want to promulgate the idea that the university is being Islam-fied, said Dawud Walid of CAIR. We are not promoting one faith over another, Gallagher said in a statement. Instead, we are providing a service that many of our students need and value.Makes perfect sense in a world where minority religions no longer should have to make due with things as they are. Accommodation is not a bad policy. If we want people to live up to the best level of their religious beliefs, there should be reasonable and thoughtful response to what is needed.

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Dan says:

June 7, 2007 at 6:07 pm

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East Valley Tribune Blogs
Beyond Belief
Beyond Belief reflects Tribune Spiritual Life editor Lawn Griffiths’ commentaries and insights into spiritual and religious issues and events, as well the inspiring, offbeat and unorthodox things he comes across covering the landscape of faith and belief.

June 07, 2007
Muslim foot-wash stations at U reasonable
Lawn Griffiths

I remember a family quitting the church in a huff when they donated the church a unsolicited refrigerator from their appliance store and leaders had the audacity to say their didnt like it and hadnt requested it.

We all know how the church kitchen is a battlefield, a sacred turf where no stove or dishwasher can be purchased without agreement, negotiations and careful talks (not to mention who should even use the kitchen). The color of paint, the purchase of art, the weave of carpet or the arrangements of pews can bring turmoil. Pettiness can be contagious.

While such decisions typically have to be settled in the private realm of faith communities, new skirmishes are certain when structures for religion are eyed for public places, like the request for foot-washing stations for Muslim students attending the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Seems the university plans to spend $25,000 for foot-washing stations to make it easier for Muslim students to practice their religion, according to the Council on American Islamic Relations.

Muslims are to ritually wash their bodies including their feet up to five times a day before their prayers. The university wants to go ahead and spend $25,000 to accommodate them, said school spokesman Terry Gallagher. There would be floor-level stations at two bathrooms to be installed in August at the University Center and the Fairlane Center facilities. Without them, the university said, adherent Muslims will resort to what they have already been doing — washing their feet in restroom sinks.

Dearborn, Mich., has one of the nations largest concentrations of Muslims. The spokesman for the campus of 8,600 student said the university doesnt track its counts of students by religions, so it wasnt clear how many student that affects.

Criticism of the plan came quickly from conservatives, through blogs and talk radio. Why, they ask, should a public entity have to pay for something like this for a religious group?

The university spokesman said the $100,000 bill for restroom improvements, including the foot baths, is not paid by taxpayers, but student fees. CAIRs Michigan director said it wasnt any big deal for the campus community, but the Internet conservatives couldnt miss an opportunity to get in another digs at Muslims.

This whole thing came to light through some right-wing Islama-phobic bloggers that want to promulgate the idea that the university is being Islam-fied, said Dawud Walid of CAIR.

We are not promoting one faith over another, Gallagher said in a statement. Instead, we are providing a service that many of our students need and value.

I am glad to hear that it is not for just one faith, I nead a place to wash off the pig dropping after I walk threw a pig sty. or the grease driped from spam.

Muslim foot-wash stations at U reasonable

June 7th, 2007, 3:22 pm · 1 Comment · posted by lawngriffiths

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