McGill’s Muslim Students Association’s (MSA) search for a permanent prayer space has been documented in the media. Ever since the MSA was evicted from a basement room in Peterson Hall in fall of 2004, the group has been trying to find a new permanent space, as they used this one since 2002.
Muslim students, who in 2005 numbered nearly 3,000 at McGill, pray five times a day for five minutes at intervals of approximately 2 or 3 hours. They require a prayer space that is on or near campus.
I spoke with Ayaz Hyder, who defines his role in the MSA as “president of the consultative body made up of elected members by MSA members.�

How/when did you become involved with the association?
Involved last year in prayer space events such as sit-ins, letters to the admin, protests during homecoming. Have been involved with MSAs at Queen’s and McMaster, so naturally involved with it at McGill.

How have the efforts been going to secure a prayer space? What are the plans for the future of the MSA?
In a word, slow. Since filing a complaint with the QHRC (Quebec Human Rights Commission) we are in the queue awaiting a decision. QHRC is expected to go directly to mediation rather than conduct an investigation into the complaint. Currently we are working with the SSMU [Students’ Society of McGill University] in trying to find creative ways to use the current space in the Shatner building rather than bother with McGill admin-controlled space. SSMU execs Aaron [Donny-Clark] and Floh [Herra-Vega] have been very helpful in this process. Floh follows up with us whenever I see her on campus. We hope to have a temporary arrangement in place for next semester and a long-term but temporary solution for next year, until the QHRC issues its ruling on our complaint.
Future plans are to keep up the struggle no matter how long it takes by keeping up the pressure on the admin through pieces such as these, education campaigns, and working with the SSMU and other interested campus groups and organizations in order to have reasonable accommodation of religious needs at McGill.

I have not seen Muslim students praying around campus, as I did last year. Does this mean students are praying somewhere else, or has this just been an anomalous observation on my part?
We are currently praying in a damp work area of Morrice Hall (the Islamic Studies building). There is only sufficient space for 15 people, whereas over 50 people require a place to pray in congregation. These are the people who are able to make it to the congregational prayer at its specified time from the over 1,000 Muslim students, staff and faculty at McGill. This number does not include women which ranges from 20 to 30 at any one prayer.

I see on the MSA Web site students are encouraged to wear “green ribbons.” Who runs this green ribbon campaign? What do the ribbons symbolize?
We started this campaign last year in order to show our continued requests for a prayer space on campus (albeit not a permanent one, as the administration would have you believe). The green color is a light and peaceful color but I am not sure why it was picked last year.

McGill newspapers have compared the MSA’s desire for a prayer space to McGill’s Jewish organization, Hillel. Jewish students are all welcome at the Hillel house — a large, recently renovated building on Stanley Street that houses a restaurant, residences, and common spaces. What do you think of this comparison?
I used to live across the building and I have witnessed the renovations myself. Hillel House is more or less a cultural centre for students predominantly of the Jewish faith, but please correct me if this impression is incorrect. Muslim students are able to come into contact with each other at the weekly congregational prayers held every Friday and through weekly study circles and access to the MSA office in the Shatner building. Therefore, opportunities for getting to know each other and just chilling are aplenty for our members. A common prayer space (but not permanent) vs. the 20 different places people now pray on campus (stairwells, hallways, dark corners, etc.) is the primary goal for the existence of an MSA at McGill.
Prayer space is the reason why we exist but we make do without it given current circumstances. A setup such as Hillel House would not solve our problem because
i) we don’t require a large space (just a 12 x 12 foot space would do)
ii) small donation pool as compared to the established and mature Jewish community in Montreal, and
iii) not a sustainable solution given that MSA McGill is a campus organization run by volunteers, whereas Hillel’s restaurant and residences must employ a building manager at least (but please correct my assumptions).