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

[sunshine240778474]

Yesterday I took the kids to the local library (Inverness, scotland). The local library has a kids area. The kids area has a nice artificial grass mat for the kids to sit and read their books on.

When I entered the library there was a man who had folded the kids mat over so he could kneel on the floor and pray to Allah.

Therefore this prevented the kids from sitting on the mat and reading their books.
The man was praying for a while.

I don't have a problem with someone praying if that's what they want to do.

Is it appropriate to be doing it in the kids area in a local library?

Also, there was a woman curled up in the corner of the library sleeping. This was also in the kids area.

I've seen people sleeping in the library on a few occasions now. I've never seen it in the kids' area.

Ofcourse, I feel sorry for her if she's tired, but again is it appropriate to be using the local library, especially the kids area, as a shelter?

I left the library, and told the staff politely, I didn't find it kid friendly.

Was I being unreasonable?

It's Rosary beads and they're not "twiddled" with. Ignorant.

Well if there’s men sleeping in there next time that’ll be ok too??

This whole thread is ridiculous. In a children’s library adults are simply not allowed unless with children. If library staff dont request they move to the adult section then they’re not capable of doing their job, make a complaint.

I called 101 because there was a car with a blacked out number plate driving through our area with a man singing a call to prayer through a megaphone at around 5am. He did it on a few different days. Involved a lot of shouting. Woke up my children and they were terrified.

People need to start making their minds up on what they actually want and what they feel is acceptable - not just bury their heads in the sand and pretend nothing is happening.

Don't be obtuse.

Again the body odour was horrendous

Again? That's the first time you've mentioned body odour.

There should be a specific prayer room rather than using the kids general area. It won’t even be peaceful for the guy with kids potentially running all over the place. As for the woman sleeping in the corner, that’s just a bit fucking weird! Sounds like a bit of a rough area…

Nothing - in a masque/prayer space and in a bed.

That space is for children to read and enjoy.

Adults complain about children taking over their spaces e.g. pubs. It works both ways.

Really? Keep it private and I say that for all religions

I think some religious people would object strongly to your description of prayer.

Do you want to pay for a specific prayer room? Or lose that space from your local library?

It sounds a terrible library! Drug users, someone praying, BO, people using it as a doss house…I’m surprised you’d visit it all OP!

I believe there's a mosque in Inverness. Why couldn't he go there? A library is not a religious centre and adults shouldn't be in a children's area. I'd have more sympathy with the sleeper, but again, they shouldn't be there, a library is not a hostel.

If a person is praying in a library, then that very act makes it then not a neutral space. That is not hard to understand.

It was in the children’s area. It wasn’t a sleeping/praying area.

If I go to a library, I’d sooner not be having to step over/around people either praying or sleeping. 🤷‍♀️

I honestly wouldn’t care.

It's the place they choose to do it that is inappropriate

I was asking the person who referred to ‘our culture’ as this clearly was not what they meant, but I think you know that!

I think it’s outrageous that an adult male should take over a designated children’s area for anything (other than obviously child related topics).

Yanbu. There are plenty of other places for someone to go and pray like a mosque or a park. The children’s section of a library is not one. Also nobody should be curled up sleeping there either. If one person is allowed to do it then so should everyone and the place will cease to be a library and become something totally different.

But some are more welcome than others

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

Love these flexible definitions of prayer. The same people who are all for silent prayer in a library kids section are vehemently against silent prayer in the vicinity of an abortion clinic.

Do you mean the original post itself of some of the responses

There is, it’s not very far away, less than a ten minute walk.