Socialists, Jews and Christians joined Muslims yesterday in a Melbourne city protest march over RMIT student demands for more dedicated Muslim prayer rooms rather than more multifaith facilities.
The Age reports the RMIT Islamic Society has been seeking Muslim only prayer rooms for 16 months, since extensions at the university in late 2007 closed the rooms it had used for 14 years.
RMIT promised replacement prayer rooms, and built handsome ones with ablution facilities and Koranic quotes on the wall in the multifaith centre, RMIT Islamic Society president Mohamed Elrafihi said yesterday.
He said the society was then informed the rooms would be "multifaith", available to the Muslims Monday to Friday, 11.30am-5pm and by appointment.
Mr Elrafihi said the Muslims had no objection to other faiths, but RMIT had reneged on its promise and it had become a justice issue.
Representatives of other faith and political groups agreed, voicing their support at a rally preceding the march.
Islamic Council of Victoria spokesman Nazeem Hussain said Muslims had lost faith in the RMIT process. "There's a feeling of betrayal," he said.
Acting vice-chancellor for students Maddy McMaster said RMIT had eight dedicated Muslim prayer rooms on its various campuses, had offered a ninth, and also had two multifaith rooms. "We ... believe what we have provided is adequate."
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Multifaith March for Muslim Prayer Room at RMIT
Source: CathNews
Tuesday, 24 March 2009, 10:01 (EST)
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