At this moment islamic students and academics at the UT literally have to do gymnastics if they want to live according to the Koran. This requires moslems to pray five times a day, and, beforehand, they not only have to wash their hands and face, but also their feet. 'We now have to do this at the washbasin in the toilet,' says TO master's student Winda Widysastuti from Indonesia. 'You can imagine the resulting antics.'
The Centre of Silence of the SPE in the Vrijhof is no solution either. There are too many symbols and statuettes, something forbidden by Islam. 'I did try to pray there once, but you cannot concentrate because of the images,' explains student counsellor Said Benayad. 'Moreover, there is no place to wash.'
Benayad, therefore, has started a committee together with representatives of the Society for Turkish Academics (TVTA), the Indonesian Moslems in Enschede Association (IMEA) and two Moroccans. What they want is simple: their own space with facilities for washing, a carpet, and, if possible, a few Korans.' The forty moslems who support the plan will certainly use the accommodation,' Hadi Susanto, chairman of the IMEA thinks.
The committee has discussed their plans with the International Office and the SPE. Christians and Moslems will first concentrate their efforts on keeping a multi-cultural centre of silence in the renovated Bastille. An official request for this has been filed with Student Services & Campus (DiSC) and the Student Union; together they determine the interior of the Bastille.
DiSC Director Jan Melief says to be favourably disposed towards the plan. He aims for a space suitable for use by more religions. Melief: 'That leads to a better understanding and I hope also towards apprecation for each other's cultures and beliefs.' SPE pastor HÚlÞne van den Bemt is of the same opinion. 'At Tilburg University there is an inter-religious prayer space, which works fine.'
The committee thinks that one multi-cultural space is far from ideal. Benayad: 'As in the centre of silence now, too much multi-religiosity leads to non-functionality. Co-operation and fraternisation is very useful, but all religions have their own individual characters that do not always mix.'
Melief realises that too. 'There should be room within the space for religions to do their own thing,' the director of DiSC feels. 'But a separate space for each religion would become incredibly expensive.'
But Benayad also sees practical problems. 'Moslems have to pray five times a day, while at that time maybe a zen-meditation is taking place, or a bible-reading. And,' the student counsellor wonders, 'would all those people take off their shoes, as is proper in an islamic prayer room?'
But would Hindus, Buddhists and other religions not also claim their own space? Windyastuti is therefore in favour of an inquiry into the religious needs of the UT-community. On the basis of that a decision can be taken. Van den Bemt agrees. 'If UT-moslems think that they will not feel at home in an inter-religious space, then their own space is of course an option.'
According to Benayad the number of active moslems is higher thatn the number of active christians at the UT. 'Out of fairness alone, this should lead to a separate prayer space. We would not be an exception. They already exist at The Free University and the University of Rotterdam.'
Widyastuti also sees advantages for the whole of the UT. 'Look at it as international marketing. It will certainly be valued by islamic students if attention is paid to their needs.' Benayad is certain of that too. 'The UT is actively working with Kuwait. If they want to recruit students from there, such a space would help enormously.'
