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?

So what? If his religion is so onerous that he has to occupy children’s spaces for his religious ritual then he should seriously consider what god would want that? Why is his need any greater than that of children’s need to have a space in a library they can freely use. If it’s not practical to pray it’s not practical end of, he either needs to be better organised or delay his prayers til he got to a mosque or home.

Why can’t he pray on a chair quietly

what would happen if he didn’t pray at this time, why does everyone else have to accommodate this

Yes allocated spaces usually have a sign and if someone doesn’t do a religious ritual your nobody died still applies.

I think it would still be inappropriate and I would consider that person to be quite selfish and entitled.

Where are the women praying? So far it’s only men in public spaces.

Oh dear. But it wasn’t a female of any religion praying was it.

And as I said there are no other major religions I am aware which behave like this.

I’m not even sure what you are arguing for here. You have admitted that he shouldn’t have been there. You seem to have an issue with OP and others for saying this though. Why?

I know it is not a single sex space but which bit of “it’s men that represent the overwhelming risk to children” are you struggling with? Or do you disagree that the stats say that men are 98% of all sex offenders?

I looked it up, the Inverness library is an 8 minute walk or 2 minute drive from the Inverness mosque.

The children’s section is not a quiet spot. It generally contains children.

There is no reason or justification for that man using the children’s section to pray. He is deliberately encroaching on children’s space. There were clearly children that turned up to use the space and he did not immediately vacate.

He is making a statement that he can use whichever space he likes and thanks to our government knows that no one dare challenge him for fear of an accusation of Islamophobia.

mugglewump · Today 15:57
YABU. It is Ramadam,

It’s Ramadan by the way.

No not at all it’s not appropriate for adults to use it for sleeping or prayer it’s a child’s area zoned specifically to be welcoming and used by the children of the area they should be asked by staff to move to a different area of the library.

@SmallChildCryingTearsofButter

I have no issue with saying it’s not the correct space for prayer, I’ve said it multiple times.

What I do have issue with is using that information to make other, wild, assumptions.

For example, men do represent greater risk to women and children - there’s no arguing with the stats.

But we cannot use that information to unilaterally state that they should never be in any space, that isn’t already single sex. That is quite clearly an over the top response. We can’t ban men from everywhere.

You also cannot know that he is “making a statement,” you’re just assuming his intentions and motives.

Making it about anything more than “grown up praying in wrong place” is my issue. It’s nothing to do with it being a man, or specifically a Muslim, it’s just not a place of worship and he’s not a child.

For example, men do represent greater risk to women and children - there’s no arguing with the stats.
But we cannot use that information to unilaterally state that they should never be in any space, that isn’t already single sex. That is quite clearly an over the top response. We can’t ban men from everywhere.

And you know that's isn't what anyone is saying.

Really?

Lots of comments about lone man in library, and how suspicious that is?

Comments about men invading spaces?

It’s “VERY relevant” that it’s a man. Is it? Men are allowed in libraries. What’s relevant about that?

When really all the story is, is “man in library.”

He is not banned. He can come into the children's library with his children ( if he has any).

Welcome to use it as a library- yes.
Not an impromptu prayer session which stops the kids using their designated space.

So if a “lone man” went into the children’s area to get a book for a child who wasn’t with them, would that still be suspicious?

What I’m trying to establish is if the fact he’s male is even relevant, or if it was the activity chosen.

You’re correct.

prayers are over and done with very quickly.

At the end of the day this is the UK. In the UK we don’t have men taking over public areas to “pray”. If they want to do that shit they should live in a country where that behaviour is the norm. It is NOT the norm here and it never will be. It’s this kind of bullshit that is driving the popularity of Reform and Restore.

He’d be done even quicker if parents ignored his performance and sent there kids in to play. It’s their space after all.

shouldnt be in the kids area. Libraries have spaces for adults. When I was a child you would get people sleeping in the adult reading room . They would perfect it to an art form making it look like they were looking at a book.

my son was equally annoyed about ubereats drivers using the gym changing rooms as a nap room.

No it’s not since he was in the children’s area praying, it’s not the space for it. People go into libraries.

I already said upthread that it's both. Last week I asked a lone man who was sitting in the children's area using his phone to move to the adult area.

Very few, adults come into the Library to pick a book for a child, without the child being there. A few months ago a Lady wanted a particular children's book, but she came to the desk, rather than go into the children's library.

I sort of hate to say it, but if you wouldn’t have the same response to a woman being in there, that is sexism.

I’m coming from the perspective that we cannot take our child into a library, and I’d think nothing of going on his behalf and going into the children’s area - and I doubt I’d be outright asked to leave.

If a man can’t do the same thing without suspicion being raised, with no reasonable evidence for that specific person, and it’s not a space segregated by sex - that’s discrimination.

Feeling good now then?