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Mannie Kusemamuriwo Policy Adviser: Ethnicity & Cultural Diversity Equality Challenge Unit 3rd Floor, 4 Tavistock Place London WC1H 9RA Tel 020 7520 7063 Fax 020 7520 7069 [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Emmanuell Kusemamuriwo Sent: 24 October 2003 14:21 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Prayer room for Ramadan: The reasonable and practicable test Thanks Andy. In the end colleagues, we need to remember that our institutions should be seeking to uphold the spirit, through incorporating the letter, of the law, in our institutional practice. It is about ensuring that, given the resources that can be made available, our circumstances, situation and demands, we have provided the best reasonable and practicable institutional service that we can, to all. We need to also be able to show evidence of what, why, how, when, with whom and to whom, we have done to accomplish this. Also we need to feel happy and able to defend what we have done, to anyone who might raise an issue or a challenge. So we will need to ask and answer certain pertinent questions. For instance: Is the Mosque down the road the best way of providing a service, under the reasonable and practicable "litmus test"? What is already being provided on campus, for other groups, if any? How can the institution meaningfully and effectively communicate and consult with all those involved and/or affected, in order to arrive at a consensual way forward that is deemed to be reasonable and practicable? In the final analysis, institutions are required to do the best that they can, under good practice for all. It is not about gratuitously providing for various groups, no matter what. However, it is about arriving at and implementing, a well thought through rationale, that demonstrably mainstreams Equality and Diversity requirements in addressing the established needs of all those involved, who the institution is accountable to. Regards Mannie Kusemamuriwo Policy Adviser: Ethnicity & Cultural Diversity Equality Challenge Unit 3rd Floor, 4 Tavistock Place London WC1H 9RA Tel 020 7520 7063 Fax 020 7520 7069 [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: A.S.J.Lie [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 24 October 2003 11:31 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Prayer room for Ramadan Importance: High Dear colleagues, I am in agreement with Mannie on this important matter and universities will have to come up with creative solutions as far as meeting religious needs are concerned. Treating groups and communities equally does not mean providing the same facilities. We should treat each according to its needs. As Muslims are a large group on most campuses, special provisions are never out of place. Returning to the original question, the provision of a special facility during the month of Ramadan will be welcomed by many Muslim staff and students. More and frequent prayers are also said at this time. Although there is a mosque nearby, there are good reasons for having a facility on campus, not least because of its immediate access as days are getting shorter. Muslims do appreciate such institutional efforts. From personal experience in another context, the basic provisions should include: 1. An accessible and spacious room for prayers, carpeted, with screens so that men and women are separate, and ample shoe racks 2. Clean white/plain sheets on carpeted floor 3. Nearby toilet and where possible, ablution facilities - ample provision of paper towels is strongly advised 4. Nearby kitchen facilities for 'iftar' (ie. the breaking of fast) - this is an especially good communal time - if you haven't been to one, may I encourage you to do so and to meet your fellow Muslim staff and students 5. Appropriate disposal of any food waste 6. Security is crucial - locking up to be mutually arranged with leader of the Muslim Society and campus security services. Although provision is only for Ramadan, long term appropriately built facilities should be considered for Muslims on campuses. Hope this helps for the moment. Thanks. Andy Andy Lie Assistant Registrar (Equality & Diversity) University of Salford Tel 0161 295 2840 -----Original Message----- From: Rachel Cutts [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 23 October 2003 17:23 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Prayer room for Ramadan Hi Mannie Further to this, the School does not provide facilities for any religion or form of worship - would we therefore need to consider providing facilities for all requests in future? As Felicity said, we have a lot of these facilties (including a mosque) very near the School, and the School itself is on a tiny campus with very little, if any, spare capacity. Rachel Felicity Hunt wrote: > Mannie > > To what extent does an institution need to replicate facilities that are > readily available very close by? We have churches of various denominations and > chapels across the University and city so I would not expect to have to cater > for Christian worship, and Rachel referred to having a mosque nearby as far as > her institution was concerned. > > On the other hand we have no mosque nearby and we have a number of outlying > sites where a dedicated prayer room might well be useful. Our departments are > scattered over a very large area so it would probably be safe to assume that > one facility would not suffice for the whole University. > > What is your view about this? > > Felicity > > Emmanuell Kusemamuriwo <[log in to unmask]> on 23/10/2003 16:55:02 > > Please respond to HE Administrators equal opportunities list > <[log in to unmask]> > > To: [log in to unmask] > cc: (bcc: Felicity Hunt/PER/Central-Admin) > > Subject: Re: Prayer room for Ramadan > > Hi Rachel, > > A prayer room request needs to be considered reasonable because not only is > it part of a direct institutional provision expectation under good practice > for all, but also a statutory requirement under the Equality Legislation for > Religion and Belief. > > Also it is an indirect requirement under the General and Specific Duties of > the RRAA in that most Muslims are from particular racial groups which are > covered by the Act. > > We also need to remember that under the "Burden of Proof" institutions could > be expected to show evidence of the reasonable and practicable steps they > take, why, how, when and with whom, in order to make sure that institutional > practice and provision is not racially discriminatory, in an unlawful > manner. > > It is therefore considered reasonable for an institution that has Muslim > staff and/or students, to be expected to provide prayer room facilities as > and when needed. The facilities are also expected to be reasonably and > comfortably fit for purpose, otherwise if they are not, unfavourable > treatment that could be tantamount to unlawful institutional racial > discrimination, could be justifiably inferred. > > I hope this clarifies the situation for you. Please feel free to contact me > with any further issues, if necessary. > > Regards > > Mannie Kusemamuriwo > Policy Adviser: Ethnicity & Cultural Diversity > Equality Challenge Unit > 3rd Floor, 4 Tavistock Place > London WC1H 9RA > > Tel 020 7520 7063 > Fax 020 7520 7069 > [log in to unmask] > > -----Original Message----- > From: Rachel Cutts [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: 23 October 2003 15:20 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Prayer room for Ramadan > > Hi > > I am hoping for some advice on the provision of a prayer room on campus > during Ramadan. Is this something that you would consider a reasonable > request? It's not something I've been asked before - there is a large > Mosque about 5 minutes walk from the School and I think previously > people have used that. > > Any advice gratefully received. > > Thanks > > Rachel > > -- > Rachel Cutts > Administrator, Research Support > London Business School > Regent's Park > London NW1 4SA > UK > > Tel: +44 (0) 20 7262 5050 x3490 > Fax: +44 (0) 20 7723 3461 > Email: [log in to unmask] > ********** > The Equality Challenge Unit promotes diversity and equality of opportunity for > all who work or seek to work in higher education. We are sponsored by the > representative bodies (SCOP and Universities UK) and the four UK HE funding > bodies. > > This message is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient you > should not copy or disclose this message to anyone but should kindly notify > the sender and delete the message. Opinions, conclusions and other > information in this message which do not relate to the official business of > the ECU shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it. No contracts > shall be concluded by means of this e-mail. Neither ECU nor the sender > accepts any responsibility for viruses. The administrator of this e-mail > service (Universities UK) reserves the right to access and disclose all > messages sent over its e-mail system. > ********** -- Rachel Cutts Administrator, Research Support London Business School Regent's Park London NW1 4SA UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 7262 5050 x3490 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7723 3461 Email: [log in to unmask] ********** The Equality Challenge Unit promotes diversity and equality of opportunity for all who work or seek to work in higher education. We are sponsored by the representative bodies (SCOP and Universities UK) and the four UK HE funding bodies. This message is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient you should not copy or disclose this message to anyone but should kindly notify the sender and delete the message. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message which do not relate to the official business of the ECU shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it. No contracts shall be concluded by means of this e-mail. Neither ECU nor the sender accepts any responsibility for viruses. The administrator of this e-mail service (Universities UK) reserves the right to access and disclose all messages sent over its e-mail system. ********** ********** The Equality Challenge Unit promotes diversity and equality of opportunity for all who work or seek to work in higher education. We are sponsored by the representative bodies (SCOP and Universities UK) and the four UK HE funding bodies. This message is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient you should not copy or disclose this message to anyone but should kindly notify the sender and delete the message. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message which do not relate to the official business of the ECU shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it. No contracts shall be concluded by means of this e-mail. Neither ECU nor the sender accepts any responsibility for viruses. The administrator of this e-mail service (Universities UK) reserves the right to access and disclose all messages sent over its e-mail system. **********