Prayer Rooms at AFL Stadiums

[Truck]

^Muslambs have designated prayer times where they drop everything to pray.

That's just derogatory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL1jDcAHkc8

Racist skinheads with no education somehow support your point? Really, it only discredits it.

[pi]

^Muslambs have designated prayer times where they drop everything to pray.

That's just derogatory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL1jDcAHkc8

Racist skinheads with no education somehow support your point? Really, it only discredits it.

Yeah.

JellyDonut, that video has nothing to do with the issue of prayer rooms and doesn't justify your post. If you want to be a racist and generalising, please keep it to yourself.

[Greatness]

Didnt really read the other comments, but i don't think it's necessary to have them. People come to the MCG to watch sport, not to pray. For the most part, the MCG is used for AFL and most afl supporters are fairly die hard so i dont think they would just leave to pray. As someone said above, there are costs involved with that, there are probably rooms that could be converted into a prayer room but it would be more beneficial for the afl/mcg to use those rooms for other things. Also it wouldn't increase attendance of afl games by a lot anyway. The only reason you don't see a 100,000 crowd during H&A season is that a lot of the MCC members dont turn up :/ The big games will always attract 70k+ but after that it really depends on the mcc member turn out. Although it may sound ignorant, but i dont think the mcg directors or whoever would really care about the minority of supporters because tbh money is what drives them in the end

[JellyDonut]

^Muslambs have designated prayer times where they drop everything to pray.

That's just derogatory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL1jDcAHkc8

Racist skinheads with no education somehow support your point? Really, it only discredits it.

It's not meant to support my point or any point you somehow attached to my post

[Truck]

^Muslambs have designated prayer times where they drop everything to pray.

That's just derogatory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL1jDcAHkc8

Racist skinheads with no education somehow support your point? Really, it only discredits it.

It's not meant to support my point or any point you somehow attached to my post

Then why post it?

[JellyDonut]

To explain the reference in which the term "Muslam" came from, something I used in jest - which clearly went over your head (as well as the other guy who is somehow convinced that I'm a racist)

[IndefatigableLover]

Didnt really read the other comments, but i don't think it's necessary to have them. People come to the MCG to watch sport, not to pray. For the most part, the MCG is used for AFL and most afl supporters are fairly die hard so i dont think they would just leave to pray. As someone said above, there are costs involved with that, there are probably rooms that could be converted into a prayer room but it would be more beneficial for the afl/mcg to use those rooms for other things. Also it wouldn't increase attendance of afl games by a lot anyway. The only reason you don't see a 100,000 crowd during H&A season is that a lot of the MCC members dont turn up :/ The big games will always attract 70k+ but after that it really depends on the mcc member turn out. Although it may sound ignorant, but i dont think the mcg directors or whoever would really care about the minority of supporters because tbh money is what drives them in the end

Totally agree with you. People come to the MCG to watch sport and if they decide to build a prayer room then the AFL will attract unwanted attention from religious groups. Also with a diverse culture within the AFL as well as the supporters... I don't think it's necessary as they just want to watch

[chiral]

^Muslambs have designated prayer times where they drop everything to pray.

That's just derogatory.

@JellyDonut i'm not sure if it was intentional or not but you spelled Muslim wrong and it's very offensive the way you spelled it "Muslambs"
@VegemitePi how is it derogatory that we have certain times of prayer and we leave everything that we are doing to go and pray? It doesn't make sense really. We pray five times a day and have a specific time to for each prayer, whilst most of the prayer (4/5) have a certain time frame that we can pray between there is one that we must complete as soon as it is time to. I don't understand how us praying at specific times can be disrespectful or derogatory in any kind of way.

In general I believe that there is no harm for having prayer rooms at a sports venue. The fact that some people leave during the game and come back to pray shouldn't really affect anyone else, plus as if they know what anyone leaves for anyway. This is a multicultural country and therefore providing a prayer room for people who are religious and also big footy fans shouldn't be an issue. I mean why should anyone have problems with some people who want to go and pray? How does this affect anyone in any kind of way?

I can't even believe people are debating about this because it is obvious that prayer rooms are not going to hurt anyone if anything it allows people from diverse background to enjoy a game and carry on with their own religious practices.  However I do believe that one room would be a bit awkward for differing religious groups and therefore there should be separate provisions.

@swarley prayer rooms are necessary because whilst Christians and Jews don't have set prayer time us Muslims do. People can come to the MCG to watch sport and carry out their religious customs. For example during Ramadan (which has different timing every year and sometimes falls
within the footy season or other sports if not that) a lot of Muslim fans may not be able to attend because they need to pray and open their fasts. If there was a room for prayer then this would not be the case and they can enjoy the game and pray/break fast in the prayer room , and once that is done return to watch remaining of the game. It's a win win situation

Honestly don't see why anyone can have a problem with this. And people who are talking money how much money is it going to take? Not much, especially if you say there is a minority then that minority wouldn't need much space would they?

Personally if I wanted to watch a match but this would interfere with my prayer then I would not attend (and i'm a big footy fan). Had there been a prayer room I could just watch the game and leave when I need to pray and come back

It's only fair that a prayer room be built to address the diverse community that Australia has

[pi]

^Muslambs have designated prayer times where they drop everything to pray.

That's just derogatory.

@JellyDonut i'm not sure if it was intentional or not but you spelled Muslim wrong and it's very offensive the way you spelled it "Muslambs"
@VegemitePi how is it derogatory that we have certain times of prayer and we leave everything that we are doing to go and pray?

I was referring to the spelling actually...

In general I believe that there is no harm for having prayer rooms at a sports venue. The fact that some people leave during the game and come back to pray shouldn't really affect anyone else, plus as if they know what anyone leaves for anyway. This is a multicultural country and therefore providing a prayer room for people who are religious and also big footy fans shouldn't be an issue. I mean why should anyone have problems with some people who want to go and pray? How does this affect anyone in any kind of way?

My contention exactly, if it has no harm and can only be a positive sign of acceptance, then I have no problem with it.

[Thu Thu Train]

^Muslambs have designated prayer times where they drop everything to pray.

That's just derogatory.

@JellyDonut i'm not sure if it was intentional or not but you spelled Muslim wrong and it's very offensive the way you spelled it "Muslambs"
@VegemitePi how is it derogatory that we have certain times of prayer and we leave everything that we are doing to go and pray? It doesn't make sense really. We pray five times a day and have a specific time to for each prayer, whilst most of the prayer (4/5) have a certain time frame that we can pray between there is one that we must complete as soon as it is time to. I don't understand how us praying at specific times can be disrespectful or derogatory in any kind of way.

In general I believe that there is no harm for having prayer rooms at a sports venue. The fact that some people leave during the game and come back to pray shouldn't really affect anyone else, plus as if they know what anyone leaves for anyway. This is a multicultural country and therefore providing a prayer room for people who are religious and also big footy fans shouldn't be an issue. I mean why should anyone have problems with some people who want to go and pray? How does this affect anyone in any kind of way?

I can't even believe people are debating about this because it is obvious that prayer rooms are not going to hurt anyone if anything it allows people from diverse background to enjoy a game and carry on with their own religious practices.  However I do believe that one room would be a bit awkward for differing religious groups and therefore there should be separate provisions.

@swarley prayer rooms are necessary because whilst Christians and Jews don't have set prayer time us Muslims do. People can come to the MCG to watch sport and carry out their religious customs. For example during Ramadan (which has different timing every year and sometimes falls
within the footy season or other sports if not that) a lot of Muslim fans may not be able to attend because they need to pray and open their fasts. If there was a room for prayer then this would not be the case and they can enjoy the game and pray/break fast in the prayer room , and once that is done return to watch remaining of the game. It's a win win situation

Honestly don't see why anyone can have a problem with this. And people who are talking money how much money is it going to take? Not much, especially if you say there is a minority then that minority wouldn't need much space would they?

Personally if I wanted to watch a match but this would interfere with my prayer then I would not attend (and i'm a big footy fan). Had there been a prayer room I could just watch the game and leave when I need to pray and come back

It's only fair that a prayer room be built to address the diverse community that Australia has

Whats the difference between a regular room and a prayer room? Couldn't somewhere like the MCG or SCG with their exclusive clubs and conference rooms and what have you just say "Okay this is prayer room for this match"? Why does it need to be a brand new room? I'm not saying its a bad idea I'm just wondering why it has to be a prayer room.

[pi]

Whats the difference between a regular room and a prayer room? Couldn't somewhere like the MCG or SCG with their exclusive clubs and conference rooms and what have you just say "Okay this is prayer room for this match"? Why does it need to be a brand new room? I'm not saying its a bad idea I'm just wondering why it has to be a prayer room.

I think there are some who believe a "prayer room" should be very plain (ie. white walls and dull carpet/tiles) without much (if any) furniture present. But it's a good point.

[Truck]

Lol this thread has just been one long series of misunderstandings.
(That was directed @JellyDonut mainly, did not sound like a jest ).

Summation of the issue - if the AFL feels that it should put in a prayer room in stadiums, then it's perfectly fine for them to do so. With that said, I don't think they have any obligation to do so and as such, it should only be implemented at their discretion.

[chiral]

Thanks for clarifying that VegemitePi I was beginning to think you were very racist against Muslims...

@MynameIsBob its needs to be a prayer room because we (I'm only representing the Muslims here don't know about the others) pray in a clean place, using a mat in a specific direction with nothing in front. You use an old room like a conference room to a pray in if they would allow and this wouldn't be a problem with us, however it cannot have pictures up in the direction we are praying in. It would therefore just be easier to make a new room that is used just for praying. For example at home when i'm praying i need to make sure i don't have certain things in front of me, if there are pictures in a room we don't pray in that room.

[Greatness]

If this prayer room is for all religions then couldn't that result in a conflict between people with diff. religions?

My point: If a prayer room won't make the AFL/MCG/AFL clubs any more money they do without it then they won't go ahead with it. End of story. Sorry if that sounds harsh/ignorant whatever you want to call it, but it's the truth.

[Russ]

My point: If a prayer room won't make the AFL/MCG/AFL clubs any more money they do without it then they won't go ahead with it. End of story. Sorry if that sounds harsh/ignorant whatever you want to call it, but it's the truth.

It's a pretty blatant attempt to tap into the muslim market by catering to their specific requirements, so I'm pretty sure that cost isn't going to be a factor