... 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?

Kerry, you should never ask anyone to do that in a toilet. In this day and age you'd think people would be more tolerant..

Oh no, sorry, that's breastfeeding, isn't it?

Aw thanks animation. It may be somewhat kumbaya but if there were higher expectations of everyone, regardless of colour or creed, when it comes to general thoughtfulness and consideration, things would be a lot easier.

I am being po when other people are being jolly and full of whimsy. Must do better.

No, no Appletrees, it is a serious topic. Wine may have been consumed this evening......

"ask him if office activity disturbs his prayer"

Just having another little snort at that one

Not by me yer barstards

(clears throat for extended lecture)

"ignoring everyone elses' feelings"

If no one is telling you about those feelings then how are you able to ignore them?

I think I would find the praying somewhat irritating (I find dh's Buddhist chanting fairly aggravating tbh, I'm just not inherently tolerant of religion).

But I also think I'd try to shrug it off as a 'mildly antisocial thing my office mate does, could be worse, could be farting incessantly or cleaning his ears with a straightened out paper-clip' & let him get on with it...

rather bullish approach to his own needs.

Kaloki - he might need it spelling out, but generally speaking if you're going to act weird behind your colleague's chair - it's only courtesy to ask first - like, 'do you mind if I smoke.'

Like I said before if you go around taking your spirituality to extremes, like behind a colleague's chair in a small work space - then you look weird. As with any religion there's no need to be weird about it.

I have only just looked at the middle of the thread and discovered from riven that there is window of several hours for each prayer. So basically this bloke is being chuffing annoying because he doesn't even need to do it.

It IS just like noisy phone calls and overloud parenting.

Religion hardly comes into it in the end.

Too right. Except i'm allergic to the word offensive but here, quite bloody right.

I think as long as he is not pushing his religion onto you and does his praying quietly there isn't any problem, but maybe he should go somewhere a bit more private to do his praying.

"can't he go into the toilet if there's no spare room?"

No he definitely cannot as toilets are not the cleanest places around and salat (prayer) is performed when person is clean in a clean place.

Just to say.. i used the word retarded totry to shame heracles who used it to describe the situation, the tjread, the reaction, i don't know what. I was pretty disgusted by it but should have sais so more dire tly. I sm so sorry it upset you riven and i understand why you took it the wrong way. I was agreeing with you that it is offensive.

KerryMumbles, no sorry I am not Irish so the joke totally passed me by.