Here are some photos of the sordid state of the prayer room at the University of Auckland. Photos were taken on 12/08/09. Conditions have slightly improved today, but still sordid by my standard, by any standard!!
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The shelves at the entrance of the prayer room, just outside the praying area.
Aaaaaaaaaaaah, too busy with classes and assignments that you don't have twenty seconds to neatly put in place your prayer garments, ladies?
Well, at least the girls ARE performing their prayers, that the sordid state of the prayer room is evidence that the room is optimally used? That's the optimistic side of me talking.
But the evil side of me asked - where are your manners? Respect for others? Regard for public properties? Cleanliness values? And the fact that these very ladies perform their daily prayers, they should already have gained the values of a true Muslim, and an educated one for that matter because you attend university.
And I bitched, I ranted, I screamed.
I even wrote a proposal for an extreme makeover project of the prayer room. I presented my improvement ideas, suggested practical items to install (railings, hooks). Even said I'd find my own funding, recruit my own volunteers to do all these, if only they allow me to do this. Is it too much to ask for an approval, and all for the greater good of the Muslim community at the university?
What have I achieved? My first email of the makeover project was sent on 09/09/09. And I haven't moved forward since. Emails were sent to a Malaysian student who sat on the Islamic society committee, but she wasn't able to help. Somewhere along our correspondence, she told me she no longer belonged to the committee and gave me an email address of a brother to contact. No replies. I then sent the proposal to the general official email address of the society, and have not heard anything. The proposal is still in the cyberworld, desperately awaiting approval, and most importantly ACTIONS.
Maybe I shouldn't seek approval and just do it. There are implications, however. The prayer room belongs to the University, and the Islamic students' society is mandated to oversee the room.
Where did we go wrong? Bureaucracy? Values (or lack thereof)? Complacency? Have we not put in practice the very same values we learn and preach in our religion?
The back of the prayer area. What do you think the girls were thinking when they did this mess?
Aaaaaaaaaaaah, too busy with classes and assignments that you don't have twenty seconds to neatly put in place your prayer garments, ladies?
But the evil side of me asked - where are your manners? Respect for others? Regard for public properties? Cleanliness values? And the fact that these very ladies perform their daily prayers, they should already have gained the values of a true Muslim, and an educated one for that matter because you attend university.
And I bitched, I ranted, I screamed.
I even wrote a proposal for an extreme makeover project of the prayer room. I presented my improvement ideas, suggested practical items to install (railings, hooks). Even said I'd find my own funding, recruit my own volunteers to do all these, if only they allow me to do this. Is it too much to ask for an approval, and all for the greater good of the Muslim community at the university?
What have I achieved? My first email of the makeover project was sent on 09/09/09. And I haven't moved forward since. Emails were sent to a Malaysian student who sat on the Islamic society committee, but she wasn't able to help. Somewhere along our correspondence, she told me she no longer belonged to the committee and gave me an email address of a brother to contact. No replies. I then sent the proposal to the general official email address of the society, and have not heard anything. The proposal is still in the cyberworld, desperately awaiting approval, and most importantly ACTIONS.
Maybe I shouldn't seek approval and just do it. There are implications, however. The prayer room belongs to the University, and the Islamic students' society is mandated to oversee the room.
Where did we go wrong? Bureaucracy? Values (or lack thereof)? Complacency? Have we not put in practice the very same values we learn and preach in our religion?