Muslim students seeking space for prayer on UVA Grounds need look no further than the Lawn. Two years ago, the Office of the Provost designated classroom space in Pavilion VIII as an area for "quiet meditation and reflection." The room was the result of lobbying by Asad Saqib, an engineering student and member of the Muslim Students Association, whose efforts to get prayer spaces in universities nationwide was recently highlighted in USA Today.
"It shows how much the University really cares about its students and how it really tries to accommodate for students with diverse needs and backgrounds," says Saqib of the meditation room. "For a lot of the Muslim students specifically, it’s really important for them to have a place like this. It’s something that’s very close to them, because [prayer] is required by our faith."
According to William Ashby, associate dean of students, the meditation room is managed in a similar manner to the Chapel on Grounds, which is also nondenominational. Ashby said the historic nature of that building and the rules meant to protect and preserve it have allowed for a neutral space for students, faculty and staff to gather for reflection. Before the creation of this room, Ashby said, some Muslim students had expressed concern about praying in the University’s Chapel because of the presence of Judeo-Christian iconography.
"I would say for most students, you want some place that’s quiet," says Saqib, adding that the Chapel is a high-traffic area at the University.
Since the creation of the room, Saqib said a log has noted that an average of 15 students of different faiths make use of the room daily. The room’s existence, however, has been kept a "word of mouth" phenomenon among students.
Though Saqib’s work with Ashby was the initial impetus for the creation of the room, other student groups were consulted in an informal fashion. Members of Hillel, a Jewish student group, and the Christian Alliance Group were sympathetic to Saqib’s cause and offered support.
"I feel like this is something that should be done on more campuses," says Saqib. "This meditation room also shows how people of different faith can come together and show their unity."
C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to news@c-ville.com.
