Tonight Joey sent me a link for a news story that I hadn't heard about. It seems that Harvard University has made the decision to close one of it's athletic facilities for several hours a week so that only females can work out during those times. As I read the short article I was intrigued and wanted to find more. After going to google, I simply searched for "Harvard women only gym hours." In all the articles I read, I couldn't find a listing for the actual hours.(I did finally find the hours listed in one of the blogs quoted below). What I did find was articles that had quotes from male students who were not happy. I found blogs written by people who had many negative things to say about Muslim women, and Islam in general. I immediately thought, if the men don't like it they should ask for male only hours.
I finally found the article that was in the Harvard Newspaper. The article shared about the implementation of the female only hours as well as some of the reasoning for it. While the article listed here is an opinion article, it did include many facts. However, the opinion writer did share many things that I feel were jaded. For instance, the writer feels that the new policy shows a readiness to put minority interests ahead of the entire community, even when it creates disparity in resources. The writer also shared the following closing paragraph: "That Harvard’s misguided accommodationist policy may inadvertently divide as opposed to unite the diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds present in Cambridge is regrettable. More dangerously, it bolsters support for the idea that religious fundamentalism (particularly Islam) is incompatible with Western society. Harvard would do well not to make itself a breeding ground for this sort of feeling."
I found other blogs while searching the topic. Some listed some of the most hurtful things I've read in a long time regarding Islam. Muslim's will always have a near and dear place in my heart and so to read this I was saddened. One of the blog's made light of Muslim tradition by mocking the use of insha allah's and salamu alaikums. This blogger said that the closing of the gym for six hours is a great inconvenience not only to men but to the 98% of women at the university who are not Muslim. I guess that the 98% just won't want to work out with the 2% Muslim women. This blog also included the supposed email that was sent out to Muslim students by one of the officers of their association. However, the blogger incorrectly referred to Ola as "he". Ola is in fact a she, and one of the supporters of the women's only hours. As I read the hours listed in the supposed email, they were not inappropriate. There were 6 hours listed spread out among 3 weekdays.
I'm saddened by this whole ordeal. I may be completely wrong and putting myself out on a line here but I think the big deal is not about the 6 hours but it's about the Muslim women. The Muslim women and the Islamic Student Association on campus were the ones asking for this policy change. They were not asking for it to be closed for 6 hours a week for just Muslim women. They were asking for a number of hours a week that would just be women present. Due to Sharia (Islamic) law, women should be covered in front of men unless they are family. While a Muslim women could work out in a gym with a man present, she would need to be fully covered. In the case where there are a number of covered women wanting to work out, I can see where it would make sense for them to ask for female only hours. I believe that these news articles and arguments among students would not have taken place if white women had asked for special hours for women only. America is scared of Muslims. Most Americans equate Muslims with terrorists. We have every right to be scared of terrorists and to hate them for what they have done...but we do not have every right to hate Muslims.
As a strong Christian, it make seem strange that I stand up for the rights of Muslims in America. As a person who has many Muslim friends, I have seen the way they are treated and I don't think it's fair. While life is not fair, I believe that we should treat each other with respect. I think it's important that we listen to each other and try to get along.
So really, if it's that big of a deal then have men only hours as well. But please, don't take away the women only hours just because the Muslims asked for it.
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