... 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?

Hammy02
islamic prayer involves prostrating yourself and praying outloud (very quietly). They last a few minutes at most. It would not be proper prayer for him if he did it silently sitting at his desk.

I think that provisions in your office should be made for his (and anyone elses') prayer.

I completely support the right of people of all creeds to worship at work - however, if it interrupts others from going about their business (e.g. they won't make a phonecall while the prayer is being conducted) or obstructs the office space in some way it is probably best that there is some conversation about it first.

There are levels of prayer.. I've sat in the office with Muslim colleagues praying on beads and no one in their right mind could object to that - however, if someone needs to do full prayer with a mat that obstructs others' access to parts of the office or makes others feel they need to be silent, I think it would be reasonable for this to have been discussed with others first e.g. 'I am absorbed in my prayer so don't mind me...' vs just getting down there and doing it.

What ChippingIn said.

Also where's the bigotry? No intolerance just feeling a bit uncomfortable!! Maybe his colleague is more of a bigot by forcing his prayersonto someone (not what I think - but an equally loony arguement!!)

Ginger,

a) I'm not a troll

b) There's no need to display your insecurities about your own intelligence here.

It's a reasonable question, and I've admitted that largely I need to be a bit more tolerant. As I say, it's new, it's a small office space.

Yikes praying, how scary

I had a colleague who used to call his mates four times a day and fart down the phone at them - is that better?

I don't get why you care honestly? Is he intoning loudly 'kill the infidel Beethoven'? Or is he just doing what muslims normally do and praying respectfully and quietly?

Why does it make you uncomfortable? This man truly believes in something and he's committing time to showing it. I'm a secularist, I don't believe in God but I do respect other peoples rights to believe in theirs - whether that's Allah or the fairy on top of the christmas tree.

YABU.

Chill folks
I have said that I felt uncomfortable/unsure when I first saw DH and others praying in the same room as me, and I'm married to one so I'm pretty sure I'm not a bigot. Beethoven isn't saying 'how dare he subject me to his filthy religion he should be put on a bus to afghanistan', rather 'aibu to feel annoyed' because he/she doesn't know whether they are expected to accommodate their colleague's prayers in a way that would inconvenience them. Hopefully Beethoven has no learnt that they need make no concession to their colleague and no longer feels annoyed by it.

WMMC,

Eh, I didn't say praying was scary, I didn't say I'd prefer if he farted, I just said I felt a little uncomfortable.

I'm also a secularist, and I'm not trying to stop him being a muslim.

Mowiol, dunno which bit of the Bible you are thinking of (let alone whether it's repeated in the Koran), but there are plenty of bits in both about bearing witness to faith, showing people what it's all about, etc. Proof-texting surely isn't very helpful here.

In general, it's a bit annoying when people suggest someone religious should pray silently, or pray elsewhere, as if this is some form of 'compromise'. My DP's mum is staying with us atm and she is constantly stopping to pray - before she eats, after she eats, when she wakes up, when she feels happy, when she wants something nice to happen, etc. She pointed out to DP that she would pray silently if she could but that she can't concentrate on the prayer without at least subvocalizing - I wonder if this man isn't the same? To a lot of believers, prayer isn't just rattling through a form of words so you can tick the mental box for 'said prayer today'.

Let's not ignore the elephant in the room either - islam is a giant boogieman for a lot of people and ignorance often breeds discomfort, which breeds intolerance. Beethoven obviously didn't feel comfortable to just ask their colleague which is possibly due to a bit of liberal anxiety about being seen as intolerant but is in fact just a bit silly.

ChippingIn Wed 11-Aug-10 14:50:21
gingerkirsty Plenty of us agree.

Clearly I meant agree with the OP and not Ginger!

EricNM,

You're right, I'm just going to carry on as normal, some are reading what they think I wrote into what I actually did write.

I thought I was being a bit unreasonable to be honest (that's why I posed the question)

If it were my own company I wouldn't allow it. Although knowing politically obsessed Britain I'd be hauled into court for this.

(Mind you, of course the OP should be able to take a phonecall at the same time - has he actually asked her to stop? If not, chances are he wouldn't mind, and the person on the other end of the phone surely wouldn't be able to hear?)

If I worship the dancefloor can I now jump on the desk and hula - er NO!! Believe what you like but do it away from my desk... and can you bring me a milky tea on the way back?

He should pray in private, it's a p[lace of work ffs. OP perhaps you could take in a Satanic Statue and pray at the same time.

YANBU. He is entitled to his faith, but getting out the prayer mat in the office?

Hmm.

Yeah you are right you didn't, I'm sorry.

If you feel uncomfortable though why is that? Is it about not understanding what he's doing or why? If so, ask him.

I don't know what the solution is for you. I would think it's pretty hard on him too - having to pray in the middle of an office with you looking askance and the phone going off every five seconds?

Or take your top off at your desk.

I wasn't "proof texting" (whatever that is?) LittleRedDragon. I have little memory of what's in the Bible but I just happened to remember something about "praying in a closet" or words to that effect. It always seemed to me that the Bible is full of contradictions anyway.

I don't think anyone has the right to inflict their religious practice on to anyone.