... to be annoyed at the Muslim who prays next to me in work?

[Beethoven]

I share a small office with two other people. A new guy has started who's a muslim, and will roll out his mat and start praying behind me. I know it doesn't hurt me, but I feel a little uncomfortable for the few minutes that he does it.

Am I being an unreasonable bigot?

I think that's exactly it Valium - in Ireland there is such a history, people are (publicly) very very cautious about public displays of religion. My dad is Irish and it put him off religion completely! But then, Ireland is a country where for such a long time, any religious belief is clearly defined against another, opposed and equally clearly defined religious belief. In contrast, Britain is nominally a 'Christian' country, but there's no such pleasingly binary distinction that governs religious affinities. That does make it very awkward.

I'm just realizing from seeing my DP and his family, how many assumptions I make about religion - and I thought I was a balanced, well-educated person who'd been brought up with faith!

(Btw, fira, bit mean to say the OP should get over it - she only asked for some opinions, considered them, and left us to the bunfight! )

i work in a hospital and our doctor on the ward was about to pray in our staff changing rooms as i came into the room she insited i should stay and carry on with my getting ready for work, but i felt awkard being in there as she was praying, not because it was different, but because i felt all my banging and crashing getting stuff out of my locker, getting changed, using the loo, texting on my phone etc etc would of been disrespectful to her so i left the room and went back after she had finished, i have been brought up as C of E and to make alot of noise in church when someone is praying is seen as rude, and so i think that is how i felt when in the staff room.

I feel like that with my MIL susie - but I do realize it's my hang-up, not hers.

I don't mind if someone prays in front of me. As long as they don't mind me eating a ham sandwich in front of them. Or anything else that isn't actually illegal, but might be against their religious rules.

Tolerance has to work both ways.

It wouldnt bother me. A consultant I used to work for prayed 5 (?) times a day whenever he could. We worked in A&E and I never saw him leave an emergency situation to do it.

I have to fight my way through the smokers on my way in and out of the building. We have some real long term, heavy smokers working with us. They are up and down those stairs twenty times a day that is a hell of a lot of time away from their desks.

Others nip to the tea room every half hour.

Some people are just annoying whatever they do.

Its working life innit? You have to put up with stuff.

As long as no one is pinching your arse, calling you a racially insulting name, sacking you for being pregnant etc you just have to suck it up and get on with your work.

Beethoven I confess, I haven't read the entire thread as I suspect you're getting a damned good flaming but if your reason for feeling uncomfortable is the fact that you're working so close to someone practising their faith (two activities that don't usually happen side by side) then, yes, I agree with you.

I'd feel uncomfortable in that situation as I'd feel slightly disrespectful to my work colleague but wouldn't be able to do anything about it because it's where I worked and (I presume) you're not free to clear off and give them space to pray, as someone is paying for you to be there doing a job.

If it were me I'd try to talk about it with your colleague and at least let him know that you feel 'disrespectful' and let him assure you that it's OK, as to voice it might just stop you feeling that way.

If you simple have a problem with him because you don't think he should be praying then I think YABU.

One wonders how long would it take for hypotetical Muslim colleague to yell discrimination, upsetting religious beliefs etc etc ad nauseam if the situation were reversed and a Christian plopped down on knees and started praying out loud?

YANBU.

thats quite a gross hyperbolic presumption

yabu to object but I would feel a bit uncomfortable. I would also feel uncomfortable if a christian strated praying at work or if a bhuddist started meditating. It's just work isn't it?

However, as long as it didn't interfere with anything i'd have to get over myself!

Gross, perhaps. Inconceivable - not.

Roll - DP works with several muslims; none of them object to him praying before eating, and he does this maybe 3-5 times a working day (more often that they do!)

any made up scenario can be regarded not inconceivable

princess twinkle tits anthea turner may become lovable.not inconceivable.but not likely

Rollmops, I think it's making a big assumption that most muslims will object if a christian prays in front of them. On the other hand there was a reason I said in my post about tolerance working both ways.

It seems to me that I've read a lot recently about "oh we shouldn't do x,y,z in front of the as they might feel uncomfortable".

People saying stuff like "best not to serve pork just in case" "best not to have a raffle as that is gambling" and so on.

Whatever we do has to work both ways. Not just accommodate one group.

What's uncomfortable about seeing someone pray?
If you are that bothered by it, just think how uncomfortable he feels having to pray next to someone who doesn't share his faith.
And if that makes you think why should he care? Apply the same logic!

That, rollmops, is a classic straw man argument. Come gather round as we set light to it and enjoy the warmth.

Many years ago, when I was a very naive 20-something, a Catholic colleague blessed me, against my will, in front of colleagues. I think he'd just come back from a church service - something to do with Ash Wednesday? I'm Jewish, and he knew that.

I was shocked, felt very uncomfortable, almost defiled. It felt like a very personal invasion.

If that were to happen to me now, I would not be upset at all, and accept the event for what I think it was - nothing to do with me as a Jew. Simply a man trying to give me something he believed to be good. Albeit poor manners not to accept my refusal of his offer.

The unknown, the alien, is frightening. We want to keep it away, stick with the familiar. Evertyhing in a safe little box: only work belongs at work.

Why?

Whether or not you believe in god, we live in a world that is bigger than our own little sphere. What's wrong with people doing things a bit differently to your way? If it feels worrying then talk to them about it.

I haven't read the whole thread but presumably, the OP mentioned the fact that the colleague was a muslim to explain why he would have to pray during the working day. Isn't there supposed to be a prayer room at places of work for these situations? I would definitely be very if a colleague started praying next to me at my desk at work; it's not at all appropriate and s/he should be provided with somewhere private to do it. I don't think the OP is BU.

Agree with onagar.

I have progressively grown cynical about all people who insist on showing off their faith, whichever it is, as all of them have proven to be much less pious when no one was looking.

Regarding muslims, I have worked with many, and honestly got a bit tired of hearing how great Allah is, and having to walk around their prayer mats in offices, and a couple of hours later seeing them drinking beer ("as beer does not really make you drunk, and as such is not forbidden", yeah right) and having to drive one of them out of the city once so he could have a sandwich during Ramadan ("the Koran says that if you're a traveller you can skip the fasting", and of course, me taking him out of the city automatically classified him as "a traveller").

I also had to listen to how their wives had to be pure and chaste while they could sleep around as much as they wanted, provided they signed a "24-hour-marriage certificate" and "divorced" the woman at the end of the day.

I am sure Allah will love to hear of how easily He was fooled when all these people get to see him face to face.

So yes, I would be annoyed at having to jump over a praying Muslim in my office and not being able to access the phone/fart/do my work in peace. If he wants to take time off work to do anything (be it pray, smoke, or practice juggling) he can go outside to do it. Surely the sacrifice of praying out in the cold would just add to his image before Allah?

at 'pagan trappings.
Isn't the pentacle what they use in devil worship and satanic rites?

Nah, wouldn't bother me. But I'm not bothered by much really. :)