Asks for new prayer room

– The prayer room we have now is nothing but a cupboard. There is only room in there for one person at the time, says medical student and spokesperson for the Muslim Student Union (MSS), Bushra Ishaq.

Ishaq and the other Muslims are instructed to pray five times a day at set times, but at the Medical Faculty they are assigned a room only three square meter big. The room is also used by students from the Department of Nutrition and the Faculty of Dentistry.

– During Ramadan the lack of space leads to a queue outside of the little room during the short breaks between classes, Ishaq says, and adds that it is extra hard at this time of the year when the prayer times are shorter.

– Some people have not been able to say their prayers at all, she says.

There is a proper prayer room at the Fredrikke building, but with only fifteen minutes long breaks it is difficult for students at the Faculty of Medicin (MED) and the Faculty of Law (JUS) to use this room for praying. Hence, the Muslim students at the Faculty of Law have been given a study room which they can use instead.

Delayed procedure

As early as June, Ishaq and MSS sent an application to the Institute for Basic Medical Sciences (IMB), where today’s prayer room is situated. MSS asked for a bigger and more suitable room, but the answer was long in coming. It was first when Ishaq got in contact with them again a few weeks ago that something started to happen.

– The reason for this may be that we were without an office manager for six months, says Eva Mjelde, who was appointed office manager at IMB in October. The Technical Department at the Faculty of Medicine raised the question with the central Technical Department, who are looking into the matter now.

– The Muslim Student Union should have a room at their disposal, and we would like them to have one. I hope that we will come to an arrangement soon.

– Is it so hard to come up with a temporary solution?

– The Technical Department has asked that the decision is made by the central administration, which we respect. But that does not mean that it will take a year before it happens, Mjelde says.

Up for discussion

Now, the Technical Department (TA), the student priests and the Study section are discussing a general plan for the prayer rooms at UiO. Astri Ottesen, works manager of TA, says that the goal is to find out if the paramount requirements for the prayer room at Fredrikke should be applied to all the prayer rooms at the university.

– We want to examine the problem properly as there are several people who ask for more space, she says.

However, student priest Inger Anne Naterstad believes that the Muslim students are alone in asking for a room for prayer.

– A lot of people consider praying to belong to the life outside of Blindern, while the Muslims have to pray several times a day. We support their wishes for a bigger prayer room and hope that it won’t be too long in coming.

Still, according to the Director of Academic Affairs at UiO, Monica Bakken, the Muslim medical students will have to be patient.

– We haven’t been able to look into the matter yet as we only got it in last week. However, we promise to discuss it as soon as we can, she says.