Muslim students in the University of Stuttgart dispute over rooms for prayer.

Immediately after numerous incidents with Muslim students praying in the libraries of the University of Stuttgart, the rector tightened the residence rules.

The university is actually a secular spot of studying, and prayer is often completed elsewhere, he says.
Stuttgart – New residence guidelines happen to be in impact in the University of Stuttgart due to the fact July 26th. Accordingly, ?events of a non-university nature? and ?religious events and gatherings? are topic to approval. In concrete terms, the university produced it clear to Muslim students that the university was not a place to pray. There had been particular motives for this. « There have been situations in both university libraries previously few months in which Muslim believers prayed in between bookshelves, » reports spokesman Hans-Herwig Geyer. ?Muslim fellow students tried to stop students and employees from getting into these library rooms on the grounds that they should not disturb praying believers.? Geyer clarifies: ?The university is a secular place of studying. You will find opportunities for prayer within the rooms of silence at the ecumenical center and within the churches and mosques close to the campus. ?

The Stuttgart University Director Wolfram Ressel had clearly communicated this to the staff: « Religious events and gatherings can’t be arranged using the university in the event the use of buildings for investigation and teaching along with other legally stipulated university purposes are impaired. » particularly issues the usage of rooms in the two places from the university library, the casino IT, Pc workrooms, lecture halls or student study and perform places. « Religious gatherings that impair the use of the university rooms are prohibited with reference towards the home rules, » explained Rector Ressel.
A Muslim student commented around the ban on praying as follows: The rector, who had already criticized the higher proportion of foreigners among the students, now in all probability fears ?the Islamization from the West?. The Muslim Student Neighborhood Stuttgart and the Muslim Student Union, two recognized university groups, could not be reached for a statement, not even the chairman in the student parliament.
Message from the university director led to misunderstandings among Muslims.

The Rector’s message that students could visit the Ecumenical Center around the university campus in Vaihingen to pray has evidently led to misunderstandings in the Muslim community, as reported by Pastor Stephan Mühlich, who runs the center as a Protestant university pastor collectively with his Catholic Colleague Thomas Richter-Alender heads. For instance, the Muslim Student Union asked in regards to the space of silence. « We clearly told them that the space was nursing pico question open – but that there had been other folks there too. » A student saw the artistically beautifully created space and suggested that a curtain could be drawn to separate males and women, reports Pastor Mühlich. It was explained to him that this was not the case within this country.
It truly is completely fine that person Muslim students, mostly females, come by to pray, says Mühlich. Nonetheless, he also reports that he as soon as retired towards the room of silence using a book though two Muslims had https://www.nursingcapstone.org/ been praying. When a third came and wanted to send him out as a man, he explained the circumstance to her: « We decide who utilizes the area – and we never let ourselves to become occupied. » Apparently the Muslims believed that the university had the area for Muslim students created available. But then he got into conversation together with the girls quite properly, which resulted in actions like breaking the fast with each other in Ramadan.
Pastor: Ecumenical center can’t resolve the university’s problems.

The Ecumenical Center is just not a part of the university. It was built in 1978 on a leasehold home by the Protestant and Catholic parishes. Inside the middle from the building, which also involves a café in addition to a language school, will be the area of silence. It truly is utilised for weekly church services, by yoga groups, but in addition by people for silent prayer. « Our room can hold a maximum of 20 to 30 people today, » says Pastor Mühlich – « we’re not solving the question of 1,000 or two,000 Muslims at the university. » The rush has not yet materialized. Mühlich tends to make it clear: « We do not see ourselves as the ones who can resolve the university’s challenges – we’ve got neither the employees nor the rooms for that. » But they are prepared to moderate the topic. In the past year, rooms of silence were closed in several places in Germany for the reason that there were disputes amongst interest groups about their use. In such a case, only an advisory board could assistance. The decisive criterion, however, have to be willingness to speak to men and women who believe differently.
In the University of Hohenheim, conflicts with praying students usually are not recognized, says spokesman Florian Klebs. Asta chairwoman Sarah Graf will not know http://econ.columbia.edu/masters of any such problems. Almost two years ago, as part of an institute renovation, a room of silence was opened: 16 square meters, within a former storage area in the basement, using a prayer rug as well as the sign: ?This is really a prayer rug. We consequently ask you not to walk on this carpet with footwear. Thank you. ?As early as 2011, around the initiative on the Turkish university community, the Asta setup such an? interreligious prayer space ?in another room, but this was then needed as a nursing and altering space. Apparently there are no usage regulations.