Message

Anthony,

The majority of the information you have provided is correct. However, two points need clarifying:

1. Salat Qadr can only be used in unforseen circumtsances. So a person cannot plan to miss a prayer and then pray Qadr. Especially as there is a large window of time to offer the prayers.

2. Jumma prayers in congregation on Fridays is a must and can only be missed through sickness, or if someone is travelling.

Regards

Abdul Wahab

Equality & Diversity Officer

University of East London

-----Original Message-----
From: HE Administrators equal opportunities list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Anthony Houldsworth
Sent: 11 September 2008 14:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Question on religion

Hi,

(Another long reply which shares some of the content with other replies)

I think there is some case law arising from a race case which specifically determined that segregation was effectively unlawful - this more than likely will apply to other equality strands although it would need to be tested in a court or tribunal. I think sharing with a female colleague is a sensible solution because Islamic custom is very specific about male/female interaction and being alone with a male who is not of her immediate family will be a very difficult situation for her; it is effectively forbidden.

Deb Viney makes a valid point about Eid ul Adha and Eid ul Fitr in that they are similar in 'status' within Islam to Christmas Day or Easter Sunday - would we require a person to work on either of those days? Even the emergency services tend to ask for volunteers first and then pay double time. It could be argued that in effect, requiring a Muslim to work on an Eid day is less favourable treatment and therefore discrimination on religious grounds (although that of course would need to be tested in a tribunal). Even requiring an employee to use their own annual leave allocation could be said to be differential treatment because Christmas and Easter are covered in the Bank Holiday/working week allocation.

With regard to prayer times, no prayers can be offered before their due time and in the UK the first in the normal working day is usually around 1pm which conveniently occurs at lunchtime. That prayer is called Zuhr and the 'window' for prayer lasts until the Asr prayer time which is normally mid-afternoon although this varies through the year; today it is at 4.31pm. The 'window' for Asr prayer lasts until just before sunset, which today is at 7.27pm.

In addition Muslims are allowed to pray 'Salat Qadr' which effectively means catching up for missed prayers so if the Zuhr prayer is missed for example it can be offered after the Asr prayer time (but before offering the actual Asr parayer) and there is wording within the prayer which acknowledges that it is a late prayer. So, in effect, it is possible not to pray at all in the working day and pray Zuhr and Asr as 'Salat Qadr' prior to the Maghrib Prayer just after sunset.

Muslim colleagues can therefore effectively choose the time at which they pray within the 'window' of the middle prayers of the day and are not bound to the specific time that it becomes due. If they fail to offer the prayer within the 'window' they can offer it as a 'Salat Qadr' later. The one exception to this is the Friday congregational prayer when Muslims should offer the prayer in congregation at the Mosque and this occurs at a set time (usually between 1pm and 2pm). In short, this is my explanation of why I am puzzled when you describe your colleague leaving pre-arranged meetings to go to the prayer room.

Prayer times do vary throughout the year and the easiest source I've found as a guide is at: http://www.iccuk.org/ the website of the Regents Park Mosque.

Hope this helps

Anthony

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anthony Houldsworth, FRGS, MNADP
Diversity and Disability Advisor
The Institute of Cancer Research
Sir Richard Doll Building
15 Cotswold Road,
Sutton, SM2 5NG
DL: 020 8722 4129
Fax: 020 8722 4048
Email: [log in to unmask]

Learn more about equality and diversity at The Institute
of Cancer Research; visit http://www.equalityexcellence.org.uk

>>> [log in to unmask] 11/09/2008 13:16 >>>

Dear All,

The questions below have recently been put to me.
I would be very interested to know how your University would respond.

Berry

______________________________________________

We have a new female member of academic staff who is Muslim, and we are not sure which of her requests is reasonable in terms of religious observance. The issues emerging are ones that have not arisen before; we have female admin staff of the Muslim faith, and male academics who are Muslim.

The following issues have emerged so far with the new member of staff:

She is currently placed in a shared office with a male academic - she is asking for a single room for religious reasons. This is difficult but not completely impossible, but it will have an adverse impact on other members of staff. We could, however, arrange for her to share with a female staff member.
She has informed her line manager she can undertake no teaching at all on Eid - other colleagues have never raised this as a problem.
She has left meetings, including one-to-one meetings with her line manager that have been arranged especially for her, in order to go to the prayer room - I know there are specific prayer times, but I am not sure when they are, and there are concerns that this may impinge on her teaching and other commitments.

Obviously we want to accommodate all reasonable requests, but these are issues neither I nor anyone in the School has encountered before.

Please can you advise?

Many thanks

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