AIBU to question praying and sleeping in the library kids area?

Honestly, what is your point with this questioning? Where are you coming from with this? A man went into a library in a kids area and started worshiping a supernatural being knowing full well it would intimidate children and parents. He wanted to mark his territory and prove that his particular supernatural entity was above the children or anyone else wanting to use the library. Stop with the virtue signalling nonsense, do you really think it helps anybody? This is unacceptable behaviour, as well you know.

Nobody has referenced race at all.

No I'm struggling to understand why some people think they can hide behind racism.
I can't imagine the poster will be back with the same 'boycott our libraries' thread next month when libraries start holding Easter events.

Children don’t tend to have meetings. They do often pray.

Nobody cares how Muslims are carrying out their religious requirements. We only care when it invades the space of other people who are nothing to do with that religion. You can fast, I will be eating. You can pray, I will be choosing books with my grandchildren. If you are doing anything religious in a space not specifically designated for it then I will ignore you and carry on with my life.

That means everyone has to share the public space and make it accessible to everyone. It’s not appropriate to take over a portion for religious pursuits, especially not in the kids section. It always annoys me when special interest groups think ‘everyone being welcomed’ means they can block a public area off and claim it for themselves. That’s not what public means at all.

@Annasimon Anyone, praying would be asked to leave. A Muslim asked permission once. I refused because a library is an apolitical and non religious space.

This is a weird perspective. I agree that a library should be a neutral spot when it comes to politics and religion, but I don't see why that should prevent people from praying. Neutrality on religion does not mean that religious needs cannot be catered for, especially those needs that do not interfere with other people (such as praying).

All libraries have books written by authors with strong political perspectives, along with different religious texts such as the Bible, so I don't see how your viewpoint fits with the reality of what a library is.

I think id try to lean on the perspective that anyone walking into a library should be welcomed.

I don't think praying is inappropriate in general (pointless but not inappropriate), however, using the children's area for the library preventing children using it seems wrong. If I rocked up with some collegues and chose to have a meeting in the children's area (praying to our capitalist gods), then we would probably be asked to move to an adult area - quite correctly.

Council libraries are, and have been for years now, multi use buildings where adults are encouraged to go, as safe spaces, warm spaces, to be open to all. They are very much the unofficial alternative to day shelters, places for lonely people to go, places for the homeless or mentally ill to go.

Spot on, @Birdsongisangry . A dear friend was the director of libraries for my county several years, and I have several friends who are ex-librarians. They put in a lot of effort to make libraries more accessible, welcoming and multi-functional. None of them would have batted an eye at someone praying in a library.

Over the last few months, I've noticed an increasing number of posts, both here and on other forums, that are griping about some aspect of Islam that has pissed the author off.

A cynical person might think there's some sort of orchestrated attempt to whip up indignation about Islamic religious practices.

Over the last few months, I've noticed an increasing number of posts, both here and on other forums, that are griping about some aspect of Islam that has pissed the author off.

A cynical person might think there's some sort of orchestrated attempt to whip up indignation about Islamic religious practices.

We are far too tolerant of this nonsense. That's how we've ended up where we have.

Over the last few months, I've noticed an increasing number of posts, both here and on other forums, that are griping about some aspect of Islam that has pissed the author off.

A cynical person might think there's some sort of orchestrated attempt to whip up indignation about Islamic religious practices.

I would have told him to move

I’m convinced that Mumsnet is infested with “pay per post” users from groups such as 411 that seek to influence social change. This thread is a classic example of

I don't get why it's inappropriate?what's wrong with prayers and rest?

@Creepybookworm most occasions I have went into this library there has been people sleeping. Without sounding judgemental a lot of them look like drug users. Again, I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't have somewhere to sleep, but the library isn't a shelter. The health visitor encourages mums to take their children to the library for learning. I felt more like a shelter then a library. I don't feel safe. Again the body odour was horrendous. People sleeping with their shoes and socks off.

I work in a library.
Our policy in the library is to allow people to nap in a chair if not causing an obstruction or causing a problem, we have a line of chairs in a quiet area, but no lying down across chairs or on the floor.
No lone adults in the children's area, no moving about of mats or the main chairs, adults are asked to leave the children's area if just sitting or hanging about. Adults can look for books etc without children but we don't want adults on their own sitting observing children. This is a safe guarding risk.
We have adult seating areas.
So we when we became aware of the person sleeping we would have asked them to move to the quiet area. The man praying, if we could have stopped him prior to starting we would have asked him to move to an appropriate area, such as our quiet area, and not fold up our mat as it prevents children from using it and may damage the mat. If he was part way through I would have left him, and waited for him to finish and then told him not to do that again and explained the options. I would also suggest he bring his own mat.
If any of those people complained I would have explained that we want everyone to feel welcome and have space to enjoy the books and the library as intended. Sleeping and praying is not our primary function but we have suitable areas where people are most welcome to rest or pray. We have 4 suitable areas for adults so I never know why they want to hang out in the kids area!
Children need to be protected, families can easily be put off by lone adults in the children's area and we are keen to keep this area welcoming and safe. I am not afraid to tell adults if they are not being considerate and regularly move people into other areas.