Bergen: Students want prayer room

Bergen: Students want prayer room

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The Muslim Student Society in Bergen, Norway, wants a prayer room in the university area. They're now struggling to pray five times a day.

"We want a quiet room, where people can come and concentrate on praying," Issam Bouiri, coordinator of the Muslim Student Society (MSS) in Bergen, told university paper Studvest.

According to Islam, you're supposed to pray five times a day. Both Norwegian and international students of Muslim faith are struggling to meet this requirements today.

"According to Islam it must be clean. We take off our shoes when we pray, therefore it's good if there's a carpet on the floor," saysBouiri.

Bouiri met with great understanding from both student politicians and employees at the university.

"UiB has ambitions to be an internationally attractive university, and then it will be an advantage with such an offer," says Erik Nyman Rydningen, who's responsible for welfare, environment and international affairs in the UiB student parliament.

The premises department in the university is already working on finding suitable premises. Senior consultant Morten Dyrdal will go far to accommodate the needs of the Muslim students.

"We will arrange for carpets on the floor. Currently we only received a query about such a room, but we want to find a solution that can be used by more," he says.

Source: NRK (Norwegian)

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