Prayer Space Updates

2005-06-01

A day after the eviction of Muslim students from the Peterson Hall prayer space, the PGSS (Post-Graduate Student Society) passed the following resolution:

source: http://www.pgss.mcgill.ca/COUNCIL0506/res200506.htm
ER05-06-#01 (A. Decker / M. El Ouali)

WHEREAS Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) engaged in negotiation with the McGill administration in good faith over the past several months concerning the acquisition of an alternative prayer space to the Peterson Hall prayer room;

WHEREAS the MSA conceded to the conditions and terms of negotiation set by the university in spite of its undermining of the basic rights of Muslim on campus in return of reaching an amicable solution to the Muslim prayer space issue;

WHEREAS the administration promised to work on providing an alternative prayer space after the end of the term of occupancy of Peterson Hall prayer space on May 31st, 2005;

WHEREAS the administration has refused to acknowledge an agreement that would have enabled the Student Society of McGill University (SSMU) to provide a temporary prayer space for McGill Muslims during the summer months;

WHEREAS the McGill administration has refused to provide a temporary prayer space for McGill Muslim students, staff, and faculty;

WHEREAS the university did not inform the MSA of their intention of not providing them with an alternative space until the same day of the eviction and, thus, undermining the MSA’s ability to pursue their right to a prayer space through alternative means;

WHEREAS the security on the night of May 31st, 2005, dealt with Muslim students during the eviction in a rude, demeaning, and disrespectful way;

BIRT* the PGSS condemn the McGill administration for its lack of cooperation, bad faith negotiations, and failure to provide McGill Muslims with adequate prayer space that secures their freedom of religious practice on campus;
BIFRT** the PGSS calls upon the University to immediately designate a permanent, non-sectarian prayer space suitable for diverse faiths, and freely available for use by religious groups in the McGill community.

_________________________

* BIRT: "Be It Resolved That"
** BIFRT: "Be It Further Resolved That"

2005-03-09

The PGSS (Post Graduate Student Society) passed the following resolution in response to an e-mail McGill principal Heather Munroe-Blumto sent everyone in the McGill community (student, faculty and staff):

Source: http://www.pgss.mcgill.ca/COUNCIL0405/min05mar.htm

ER05-03-#08 (N. Billick / E. Hallak)

WHEREAS there exists a massive power imbalance between the University administration and the Muslim Students’ Association, which is composed solely of students;

WHEREAS the University employs lawyers and other parties experienced in negotiation, while the MSA is relatively unsophisticated regarding legal and financial issues and has no experience in complex negotiations;

WHEREAS the University refuses to allow the MSA to receive advice and representation either from lawyers, advisors, or community activists during the negotiation process, and instead insists that four student members of the MSA negotiate with an indeterminate number of experienced and sophisticated parties negotiating on behalf of the University;

WHEREAS on March 8, 2005 the University sent to each member of the McGill community an email from Principal Heather Munroe-Blum arguing for the University’s position regarding Muslim prayer space, while the MSA has no access to any such non-public, University-wide means of communication;

BIRT* the PGSS condemn the University administration for its use of unfair and power-based negotiating tactics.

BIFRT** the PGSS condemn the Administration’s misuse of the University-wide email list in an unfair attempt to sway public opinion against the MSA.

______________________
* BIRT: "Be It Resolved That"
** BIFRT: "Be It Further Resolved That"

2005-03-02
	CAIR-CAN sent a letter to the McGill Senate to inform them on MSA's position. It also requested a meeting with CAIR-CAN, as MSA representative, to find an equitable solution.

2005-02-23
	The principal sent a memo to the McGill Senate to inform them on the McGill administration's position. In that memo, the principal mentioned that the prayer space arrangements for Muslims were renewed on "the understanding that the students would look for space off-campus". That statement was deceptive. There was no such understanding.

2005-02-23
	MSA and their representative CAIR-CAN accepted to attend a meeting with the McGill administration. However, the administration refused to have CAIR-CAN in any meetings.

2005-02-17

the McGill administration sent a letter to CAIR-CAN refusing to recognize them as MSA representatives. The McGill administration further ignored a letter, dated February 22, by MSA president Hani Ezzadeen to acting principal Dr. Luc Vinet to this effect. In fact, the Dean of Students, Dr. Bruce Shore, contacted Mr. Ezzadeen no less than five times - thrice by email and twice by calling Mr. Ezzadeen's personal residence informing him that CAIR-CAN would not be allowed at any meetings between McGill and the MSA.

2005-02-16

CAIR-CAN sent another letter to the administration. In that letter CAIR-CAN indicated that MSA would remain committed to work together with the McGill administration to find a mutually acceptable solution to the prayer space issue. However asking Muslim students to fundraise to be able to exercise their rights granted to them by the human rights legislation is unacceptable. And if the administration remains adamant in denying its Muslim students an on-campus location for daily prayers, a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission would be filed. The letter requested that all further correspondence to MSA should be directed to CAIR-CAN's office.

2005-02-10
	A memo was sent to selected members of the Muslim community without consultation with MSA. In that memo, the principal invited these people to serve on a "working group" whose goals are to identify how to proceed with buying the off-campus space "at no expense to the University".

2005-01-26

Members of the McGill Muslim community at large attended the meeting with the principal without the CAIR-CAN representative. Muslims were hoping that the meeting will be open to discuss and brainstorm how to resolve this issue. However, the principal came to the meeting with a set agenda. She basically reiterated the same proposal of the dean of students to do fundraising and buy off-campus space.

2005-01-17
	The principal’s office sent a fax to CAIR-CAN to decline their presence in the meeting.

2005-01-11

The MSA retained the Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) as the MSA representative in the prayer space issue. CAIR-CAN sent a letter to principal on that day to make an official request for an appropriate prayer space. The letter explained the uniqueness of the Islamic requirement for five daily prayers and that these prayers are vital for the emotional and intellectual well-being of Muslims. It also indicated that both federal and provincial human rights legislation imposes on all service-providers, secular or not, an obligation to accommodate the religious needs to the point of undue hardship. In that letter, CAIR-CAN made it clear that the prayer space in the Birks Building doesn’t accommodate Muslims because of its fixture. CAIR-CAN representative requested that he attends the meeting with the principal that was scheduled on January 26.

2004-11-30
	A town hall meeting was hosted by the principal, Dr. Heather Munroe-Blum. In that meeting, members of MSA brought the issue of the Muslim prayer space in public. They also asked the principal to consider the administration’s decision not to extend the prayer space arrangement or provide an appropriate alternative. The principal then agreed to talk about that issue in a private meeting.

2004-11-19
	A meeting with the dean of students, Dr. Shore, was scheduled. In that meeting, Dr. Shore mentioned that the only solution to the prayer space issue is that Muslim students fundraise and buy their off-campus space. The university's role would be to find some real estate and train Muslims to do the fundraising.

2004-10-26
	Dr. Yalovsky refused to extend the prayer space arrangement and attached a copy of an email that he sent to the Tribune (Local student newspaper) in which he mentioned "The University does provide a non-denominational prayer space in the Birks Building which is available to any McGill person or group, of whatever religion affiliation"

2004-10-11
	Andrew Bryan, Acting President of SSMU (Students' Society of McGill University) sent Dr. Yalovsky, Vice principal administration and finance, a letter with a copy of a resolution approved unanimously by SSMU requesting the McGill administration to provide an alternative and appropriate prayer space for Muslims.

2004-10-06
	The PGSS (Post-Graduate Students' Society) passed a unanimous resolution in support of the Muslims' right to have an appropriate prayer space on campus provided by the university.