Updates are Also More Equal
Further Updates 25 September 2007:
If you're getting here from Google, you can find our reaction to the Administration's e-mail to the student body over here.
You must be More Equal to enter here. Women on one side, Men on the other.
First and foremost, the Muslim Students of America here at GMU is not proposing that we build a mosque here on campus. This misconception is due to my attempted turn of phrase "mosque-on-campus." As I pointed out in the comments over at LGF, it would've been more clear for me to use "mosque-of-sorts," as the space that the MSA is proposing differs from a mosque only in the literal sense. In all other aspects (namely, the exclusive instruction of Islam within the confines), the two are the same.
Next, I previously mentioned that GMU had installed ceremonial foot-washing basins for wudu in every bathroom in the Johnson Center. This is incorrect, as I verified today. The basins are installed in every bathroom on the northeastern half of the building, and there are none present in the southwestern half. Considering some of our nation's geopolitical divisions these days, perhaps that's appropriate, but I do apologize for my mischaracterization nonetheless.
Finally, and this is the most upsetting thing I've found so far, I'd like to point out that there is one and only one "Prayer" area in the Johnson Center—rather than the four I had thought were there—and it is located on the north corner of the third foor. All of the other areas that I had thought were for prayer and/or meditation are merely called "lounges," and are generally filled with students doing what they do best—okay, the second best—thing they do best: Studying. I didn't take any pictures of these other areas today, as that would've disturbed the students in there who were actually
This is multi-faith, too. So long as you believe in Dar al-Islam.
In the central building on Campus.
Yet, on this very same campus, there are no other permanent University-sponsored areas of prayer or worship. At least, that I've found. The only other area I could find that even remotely seemed to be assigned for religious purposes was the Campus Ministry office, located in Student Union Building I. Notice that every other religious group on campus, be it the Catholic Campus Ministry or the GMU Hillel, shares this same tiny space! What makes the MSA so special that it needs its own area?
Oh, and while SUB-I was the center of campus back in the 80's, the completion of the Johnson Center in 1995 shifted the entire commons area to a newer part of Campus. Nowadays, SUB-I seems very quiet, other than the restaurant and entertainment area in the basement. At least it has a Chick-fil-a—I couldn't imagine life without eating mor chick'n, but I do digress...
So, what we remain with, is the sense that a particular group on campus, who has been conceded to by the Campus administration and Student Government on more than one occasion already, is still not happy with their standing on campus, and wishes to have privileges that are far above and beyond what has been granted to other groups.
I protest this entirely. Let the MSA move into the Campus Ministry offices with everyone else, and build their own, privately-funded "Education Center" elsewhere.
It's not like the Middle East is short of petrol-dollars or anything, is it?
I've got a handful of photographs from the Fairfax campus in the extended body of this article, if you're interested in seeing them. And, in case you need further proof, you're more than welcome to e-mail me at bledbet1-at-gmu-dot-edu. I have nothing to hide, and neither should anyone else involved in this dialogue. If you're at GMU, I'd love to hear anything I've posted here be disputed, even if the campus IT department ends up mad at me as a result.
This is the contested prayer area. The only dedicated prayer area in the JC. The screens are to segregate (as in "apartheid") men from women, and the shoe rack on the left is expected to be used at all times.
Either three, or four out of seven sets of bathrooms in the JC is equipped with these Islamic washing areas, and as far as I've been able to tell, they were built at public expense. I regretably neglected to check the basement. I do distinctly remember them being built in 2003, though.
The Johnson Center is not a small, out of the way place.
... and I'm not suggesting that GMU is somehow "shutting out" any other religions!
Religious signs are all over the JC. Privately-financed, of course. It's interesting to note that the MSA has not put up their own sign, that I've noticed. Are they waiting for the Student Government to pay for it?
The JC is massive, and is very appropriately the showcase of the campus.
This is the Student Union I building, built sometime in the 1980's. Back then, it was probably awesome, but compared to the JC, well, I think you get the idea. Pay attention to the bulletin board close to the center of this picture.
... because it's the only sign of Hillel that I was able to find!
They're crammed into this tiny space (first door on the left) with all of the other non-preferred religions.
Campus Ministry is in room 207. All of the ministries present share roughly the equivalent space as the Pride Alliance, who are over in room 223. And don't forget the Multicultural Research & Resource Center, tucked away in the spacious 225, right next door to Diversity Programs and Services, who clearly rule the roost in 224.
No lie!
