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?

Librarian here. There are library byelaws that outline expected behaviour in libraries. Yes they are public buildings and open to all, but that doesn’t mean anything goes. We wake sleeping people, ask people to turn phones on silent etc. Occasionally people ask if the can pray in the building. Always polite requests and they’re understanding when told no. If someone who hasn’t asked goes ahead and starts praying, we wait until they’ve finished then let them know they need to go elsewhere in future. The OP was correct to notify the staff of the behaviour she saw, and the staff should have dealt with it accordingly. The byelaws exist to ensure that the libraries are a safe place for all people to use.

It's a designated area for kids specifically, not for adults to do whatever.

People sleeping in libraries is nothing new, I used to hang out in libraries as a teenager and there was always someone asleep on one of the sofas. I'm nearly 40 now.

The staff would sometimes move them on but mostly they were left there and we hung out around them. They're sleeping, not threatening, and they're usually weak and vulnerable.

Muslims need to pray at certain times of the day, and they need to be facing a certain direction. Maybe he was working or studying in there all day, or working nearby and there was nowhere available at his place of work. I can see why he might think nipping into a library was a good idea, and he probably saw the big open and empty space in the children's area where he could get in the right position and thought he'd use that while it wasn't being used. He wasn't to know you'd turn up.

AFAIK, it doesn't take very long. You could surely have just waited until he had finished. Once he's realised that the area does get used, he may find another convenient spot.

I think only adults accompanying their children should be in the children’s area.

I don’t understand why the staff wouldn’t agree with that and offer somewhere else for the man to pray and the woman to sleep. Unless both people had been aggressive when asked to move which would be difficult to deal with. (Can you imagine it escalating and having to explain to the police what had happened 🫣)

This thread or the person praying?!

AFAIK, it doesn't take very long. You could surely have just waited until he had finished. Once he's realised that the area does get used, he may find another convenient spot.

Hypothetical back stories aside, why should she and her children wait because of this man’s selfish behaviour?

Does that include drug addicts shooting up or Jakeys drinking in the children's corner?

The random man moving play mats in the designated children’s area of the library to monopolise the area in order to perform a ritual for an omnipotent supernatural entity.

Which I personally think is disgraceful and the opposite of Christian teachings in so many ways.

Awful lot of words for “man praying for a few minutes”

Yes but it only seems to work one way

Just take your time with it, happy to explain any of the longer words.

The location? In a childrens play area?
Not a quiet room. Not a rest room. Not a prayer room.

I’ve got it, don’t worry.

I’m assuming you’d have the same issue if the prayer was Christian?

I am as woke as they come but this situation would really annoy me. This is not a matter of woke or not here. There already aren't enough areas in this country where kids are truly welcome. I often feel pets are more welcome than kids! A designated space for kids to read with their parents is not appropriate for conducting religious rituals, whichever they are, or for sleeping. Libraries may be a safe space for those in fuel poverty or struggling with homelessness but there should be other spaces in the building for them, not the kids area.

Typical guy takes up space reserved for someone else. So manly, so selfish

Ime Christians are taught to be discrete about prayer and that woman was in trouble for silent prayer outside the abortion clinic which is a difficult one

Luke 18 - Pharisee and widow, him with in your face praying is contrasted against the poor widow

Not many Christians would use the mat praying, many of us manage to pray out and about without anyone noticing, we can just pray on the go or stand quietly.

The meaning of 'woke' is a pain in the arse.

I’d have the same view if it was a morris dancer, the space was for children and guardians not for random men to monopolise as they see fit.

Any group of people trying to influence others thoughts, beliefs or actions in the pursuit of power could be defined as a conspiracy. What's your point?

No it couldn't.

I hate these threads. They really bring out the worst in people.

Assuming this actually did happen, which I highly doubt…

He could have been with his kids who were having fun, or playing up, and was late for prayer. It’s Ramadan, praying at certain times is important to Muslims during Ramadan.

He could have been from a culture that wouldn’t blink an eyelid at someone kneeling down to pray wherever they were because, you know, it’s praying. Not flashing or throwing bricks at passers-by.

If he’d been asked to stop and move, he would probably have done so and apologised.

Yet instead, it’s assumed that he’s a terrifying selfish Muslim Man, who is asserting his superiority in order to subjugate all the mums in the library by deliberately preventing their children from sitting on one particular mat in a massive library section full of other mats and chairs.

Honestly, I despair.

Brilliant post.

It’s Ramadan, praying at certain times is important to Muslims during Ramadan.

Different things are important to different people, perhaps there can be a space for religious ceremonies and a space for children’s areas in libraries and everyone respects the boundaries in order to be respectful to each other?