https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/62030/archive/files/b665388fa60f44fa840286048b2f823a.pdf?Expires=1787184000&Signature=CXsRnwMIFmqBZRa3d6DcphZ6ZsAqqh09vUwb9rzRQ1pgo0Xl8EyF1ZsFlaK%7EQHgACEydCgEiWrz1eUaNM5SMStFKPEtSjCsypKFQiaNruZdaNWTtb7tdC8x4sRmVEn4rzs87wE8lE2HS4MZhf-W2C2K%7E4eN4PpxTvufYGz5VHxl3ZiLRgQk0z22%7Ejat6JYbdN08X9cPuaIqnA%7ElAZKv0MaGdeqQRH2BC-4QyokHSmZCAIQCTKwLXQBbaMCEm8z1PuHiSDr5HfAAZXnpxSl3edD4M0ObNZ44BiNfnHLpIiMlUb13UzAOT3-Y7YPRcXNpmnewnyTchY7fI384Wam-JEA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM a95e725614a37bdf8f3eeb4764241c5c PDF Text Text The McGill Daily • September 6, 2005 News 3 Muslim students still without prayer space students pray outside during summer months, stage sit-in to protest lack of accomodation JOSH GINSBERG THE McGu the MSApresented a document to Masi asking him to recognize SSMU's granting of a temporary space as a good will gesture. The University never signed the document, not wanting to be held •responsiblefor finding the MSA another space come September. MSA spokesperson Idil Issa said this crippled the society's ability DAILY o place to pray." This was the message printed on dozens of small, green balloons that floated around campus this summer, iiii i; symbolizing the Muslim Students' Association's (MSA) ongoing cam. —--paign aimed at pressuring the McGill administration to provide them with to help. "SSMUis in a difficult predic• ament. They want to help the a prayer space. On May 31 the MSAwas evicted from their space in the basement of Peterson Hall. Three months later, there is little indication that it will be replaced anytime soon. Negotiations between the Universityadministration, the MSA, and SSMU are ongoing, but the cur- rent mood seems to be frustration MSA, however they don't want the admin to shift the buck to the SSMU...it'sa matter of the admin No Place fo not willing to accommodate some- one willing to accommodate the MSA," she kåid. SSMU President Adam Conter said tension is likely to increase as students are returning to school and on the students' part, and unflinch- need a place to pray. He said he ing rigidity from McGill. The University maintains its assertion that, as a secular institution, it has no obligation to provide space for religious purposes, while the MSAsays it is an issue of accom- modatingdiverse student need, and of basic human rights. Withno progress in sight, many —-of McGill's devout Muslims have taken to praying outdoors on cam- pus both as a temporary solution to the lack of a room, and to make a symbolic statement they felt went unheard at the negotiating table. would try to hammer out a fast solu• tion without getting bogged down in negotiation. Muslim students and supporters staged a sit-in Friday in front of the James Mministration building. Many carried signs claiming human rights violations had occurred. that McGillis out of step with cause, and carried signs read- University,and stressed that McGill devout Muslims, must pray five In the meantime, however, other Canadian universities on ing, "Muslims denied dignity at would not be making a financial students like Ayesha Yousuf, U2 space. "What is so different about rights." tinued Friday with a 100-person sit- needed to ease overcrowding on their policy on Muslim prayer McGill" and "McGill violates human But Anthony Masi, McGill's the 20 other odd universitiesand Interim Provost, and a princi• campuses across Canada that do ple negotiator for McGillon the decision in helping the McGill provide prayer space for their stu- prayer space issue, denied that Muslim community, and we're dents?," he said. any human rights violation has Choudhury underscored the occurred. He maintained that the going to continue with that. We'll pray outside until we see that type group's resolve to maintain pres- University only granted the MSA of solution," said MSA President sure on McGillto accommodate their previousspace on a tempoNafay Choudhury, who, like all Muslim students, pressure that con- rary basis, and that the room is "Weare leaving a buffer zone for the admin to choose the right Conter suggested that a perma- nent space would require external funding from the community, and while SSMU will not be chipping in times daily. directly,it is willing to pay for what in outside theJames Administration campus. Abd Alfatah livakkal, an MAstu- Building. Students wore white with He said that he has been working he called "initiation costs" which dent who leads the Muslimstu- green neck scarves, the colours with the MSAto find an off-cam- may include the MSA becoming dents in prayer outside, argued that have come to symbolize the pus location independent from the incorporated. contribution to this effort but would Q)elp search for donors. Economics and IDS, are questioning their future at McGill. "1 was so frustrated, I was think- While Choudhury said the MSA would be amenable to this solu- ing I'd much rather be attending tion in the long run, it will take Concordia University than McGill time to coordinate logistics, and University because [prayerl is such an interim space is needed imme- a big part of my every day routine, and it's just so hard for me to do it diately. "Come end of September, on campus. If McGill's not going to October, it gets pretty cold outside," facilitate the process, it makes me he said. Over the summer, SSMU and think about what kind of education I'm getting at this school." McGill Security accused of racial discrimination MuslimStudents'Association says students targeted while using Peterson Hal/ bathroom JESSE ROSENFELD THE MCGILL DAILY e University has yet to address claims that McGill Security harassed Muslim studentsshortly after their eviction from their prayer space last June. Omar Khalid, a Masters student in ComputerScience, has alleged being harassedby a McGill Security official whilegoing to the bathroom in the basement of Peterson Hall on June 2. twodays after the Muslim Students' Association (MSA) was evicted from its prayerspace in Peterson Hall. told he was not allowed to enter the former prayer space when he went hearing about it. "There was a report.... I heard to retrieve a chalkboard he had left there the day before, the last day about this incident, and I said, Muslim students were allowed to pray in Peterson Hall. "He asked for my student ID card "I kept on insisting that I am and followed me around. When I choosing to use this washroom left, he said [into his radio), and have every right to use it. I incident, but eventually admitted four, Mr. Choudhury has now left the building,' " said Choudhury. treated differently,but added that the event was isolated to a specific place and time when emotions were running high. "l think...Peterson Hall was an tation outlining what happened, uncomfortable area to be for everyand was there a response from one...but, I would argue, obviously the security forces?' and I got more so for Muslim students," said no answer to that question," said Conter. "Would I say that security 'Do we have any official documen- Masi. targets Muslims? Absolutely not." When the MSAbrought up the Khalid is concerned that the Choudhury voiced concerns incident at a summer meeting with administration has not paid the the washroom, and I shouted back about whether the Universitywas tar. SSMUand the administration, VP issue sumcient attention, despite his geting Muslim students in Peterson UniversityAffairsMax Reed did not repott to McGill's Ombudsperson. 'no,'" said Khalid. support MSA'sdecision to bring their "It is a little concerning that the ••nen I realized...hejust wanted Hall after the eviction. "It really raises the question about complaints to that meeting. He later administration would not rally react to make sure that I don't pray inside ended up showing him my ID. He asked me if I was going to pray in what the administrationis tellingthe security guards," said Choudhury. was not the only incident. Nafay "These people weren't there to pro• Choudhury, President of the MSA. test. These were students doing their said there were several other inci• own thing or using the bathroom, that Peterson facility,"he continued. According to the MSA, this tetmcted his position. "That meeting was possibly the tensest meeting I went to all sum. mer. I was wrong in assuming the MSAhadn't forwarded the informa- to something that fits the category of racial discrimination. This incident would seem to be something that would requite an almost immediate response, but nothing apparent has happened," said Khalid. dents in which security report* and because of their connection to tion to us. They had in fact forwarded McGillSecurity did not respond edly harassed Muslim students in the prayer space, they...were treat- the information to ISSMUPresident Khalidstated that after enter- Peterson Hall around the time of ed really inappropriately by McGill AdamConter)." said Reed. to The Daily's requests for coming the washroom he was inter. the eviction, one involving him• Security." Conter said that because of the ment. rupted by a security officer knock- self, Interim Provost Anthony Masi tension surrounding the eviction, ing loudly on the bathroom door. —withfileffivm Josh Choudhury alleged that he was originally denied knowledge of the Muslim students may have been � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Coverage from The McGill Daily Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data PDF Volume 65 Issue 1 Page Number(s) 3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource McGill Security accused of racial discrimination Description An account of the resource Article covering an instance where a Muslim student was targeted by McGill security. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jesse Rosenfeld Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The McGill Daily Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005/09/06 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English campus space Islamophobia McGill Security Muslim Students Association (MSA) racism SSMU