University of Alberta students celebrate larger prayer space

For nine years, the University of Alberta Muslim Student Association pushed for a larger permanent space for students to pray. On Friday, they finally received it.

The Multi-Faith Prayer and Meditation Space is now located on the lower level of HUB Mall, in an area once used as the university's centre for international students.The majority of students who attended the grand opening, and firstprayer, are Muslim.

Farooq Iqbal is the Muslim Student Association's former president. He moved from Lethbridge to attend the university in 2005.

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He was a part of the group that asked university staff for an upgrade to the old space in the Students' Union Building.He saidat one point, close to 300 students would use thatroom in a single day.

The room could only hold 60 people at a time. The new space accommodates many more.

"The first few years on campus were really tough for me and I found that the prayer and meditation spaces were the places where I would be able center myself and feel better," Iqbalsaid.

Iqbal said the size of the new space will not only give students more room, but that it will be welcoming for people of different religions to meet and speak freely.

"By having a new space developed, one that actually has a larger room but also side rooms and meeting rooms, we're able toaccommodate not only the Muslim students, but other faith communities as well."

Now we're all going to have a chance to come and pray in a safe space, and a space that can fit us all.- MohammedKadri, student

Mohammed Kadri, a fifth-year chemical engineering student, used the former prayer room when he feltstressed out from school work and exams.

"Before, we used to have a very small space,"Kadri said.

"I used to never even get the chance to go because it was always full. I was really stressed, so I had to go crawl under a stairway and sometimes I would even pray there, or sometimes in the classroom I'd go in the back and pray.

"Now we're all going to have a chance to come and pray in a safe space, and a space that can fit us all."

Asma Ali, a first-year nursing student, says the university prayer room is where she meets other students outside of her classes.

She's impressed by the size of the new space.

"The other space was sometimes booked by other people," she said.

"But this one, I know I'll have the space to pray."

Travis.McEwan@cbc.ca