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

That was the aim, I wish people would start supporting each other more especially when it affects children.

@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.

Next time let the toddlers loose to disturb him, he'll soon clear off.

I will assume it’s true - due to the fact that upthread OP posted a photo of said mat.

I mean seriously - ponder all you want but to take pictures as evidence 😂 way too invested

But this didn’t happen in another country it happened in Inverness so I don’t get why it’s relevant to this man’s situation.

why do you think it’s relevant?

It's very difficult to imagine this scenario in my head. My experience with Muslims is that they tend to be very self-conscious about praying in public, and they will go to great lengths to ensure that they are not interfering with other people.

It would be very strange for a Muslim man to move a children's play mat to pray, because 1) there's loads of floor space in any library to pray, and 2) a children's play area is a very bad spot for praying because children are noisy and might interfere.

As for the woman sleeping, I doubt anyone would choose to sleep in a library if they could avoid it, so I hope she gets the shelter that she needs.

I work in a public library. A man alone in the children's secton is totally inappropriate. If I see any, not often, I ask them to move.

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

We have homeless people who do sleep in the library. With this it depends, where they have fallen asleep!

Goady post and not sure if it’s true. However, if it is, I find someone praying / or sleeping wonderfully peaceful, I don’t mind which god it is. Out of tune kids singing is less peaceful, still lovely

I work in libraries, some of our city centre libraries do get a lot of homeless people in during the day - it’s warm, free internet and computer/ books access. Occasionally they do fall asleep but we have to wake them up. They arrive at the library for opening, stay most of the day and then go to Wetherspoons in the evening for bottomless tea/ coffee/ hot chocolate.

ive never experienced anyone praying id probably tactfully suggest they go on one of the meeting rooms (but obviously depends on library size)

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.

If this was during the day the prayer would have been totally silent, only the dawn and night prayers are recited vocally in the mosque, and that isn't even mandatory. I'm a Muslim and would always ask if a private space was available. I would never pray in what appears to be the middle of the room, even in a Muslim country. That's odd behaviour.
Re sleeping. This is becoming such an issue. Our local A&E have said the amount of people coming in just to shelter and keep warm is at crisis point. I'd feel very sorry for anyone in this situation, but proper sleeping with shoes/socks off is not appropriate in any public building.

A Christian doing this in a public area - down on their hands and knees - would be classed as a religious extremist. Tbh I've never seen it, and I live in N Ireland where we have plenty of the latter. Makes me very uncomfortable to see how common this is becoming in the UK, worshippers should pray in churches and mosques, not the middle of a fecking library/changing room/middle of the street. But of course Starmer's govt wouldn't dream of challenging it.

Pretty ridiculous people are trying to argue that adults are not doing anything wrong sleeping and praying in the children's section of the library.

OK so let's x 10 people, 10 people praying and 10 people sleeping, is that still OK? Surely it's OK if one can do it, why can't the others? And bang, no places for the children to read their books....

Did the sleeping woman have luggage with her? Maybe she came in on the Caledonian sleeper and wasn't able to travel to the hotel or bed and breakfast until later! This happened to me a few years ago. I went to Inverness library to kill some time and felt horrendously tired due to not sleeping on the train from London. I didn't actually sleep in the library though.

If he wasn't on the mat, couldn't you have just moved it over a bit if your children wanted to sit on it?

So we are to copy some [unnamed] Muslim countries and move along anyone praying in a quiet corner of a public building?

I wouldn’t choose to listen to kids screeching through mum and baby sing along time at the library either, but it’s a public space and so I am not going to complain to staff that is not a child free or migraine sufferer friendly place.

How do you know? Have you lived in other countries?

It’s Ramadan so I guess he wanted to pray at that particular time and he also needed to kneel facing toward Mecca for that.
However, I don’t think the children’s reading area is appropriate. Library staff should have pointed this out to him and possibly found another area for him pray.
As for the sleeping lady, I can’t really comment as have never come across this, but again the library staff should be dealing with it.

Of course it's inappropriate, there is a time and place for everything. Libraries are not religious buildings nor should they be used as such

That should of said many faiths 🙈

As in me the members library staff would have a word and say the children’s section isn’t the best place……

He probably isn’t a religious zealot he was just praying! His kids might well of been in the library too who knows? But then I might be a bit more relaxed I used to work in an airport where people of May dates would literally pray in the middle of us trying to board a flight and we’d just work round them whee we could!