US airport gets prayer room for Muslims

A Florida international airport has announced plans to build a prayer room for Muslims. “Orlando is truly becoming a global community, and we want to be able to accommodate and provide high-quality amenities for all our passengers,” airport director Phil Brown said in a written statement to the Orlando Sentinel. With a cost of $250,000, […]

A Florida international airport has announced plans to build a prayer room for Muslims.
“Orlando is truly becoming a global community, and we want to be able to accommodate and provide high-quality amenities for all our passengers,” airport director Phil Brown said in a written statement to the Orlando Sentinel.
With a cost of $250,000, a reflection room will be built at Orlando International airport where Muslim travellers used to pray in public or in restrooms.
The prayer room will include an ablution area, or clean zone, carry-on-luggage bins and shoe racks, as well as directional signs for north, south, east and west.
According to Robert Susann, “We try to cover everybody. “This is the place where we welcome people of all faiths,” he added.
He added that its location, where Dubai-based Emirates will be located, along with several other international carriers, will make it easier for Muslim travellers.
Praising the prayer room, Shayan Modarres, an Orlando Muslim civil-rights attorney, said that it will be a welcome addition for the Muslims.
Many Muslims, he said, have felt isolated and uncomfortable in this country after the terrorist attacks of 9-11. But having a reflection room at the airport, he said, “is a great step in the right direction, especially for tolerance and inclusion.”
“This is the right message we need to send,” Modarres said. “It’s reconciliation.”
Two years ago, San Francisco International Airport has specified a special place for wudu’ (ablution) and prayers.
Though there are no official estimates, the US is home to from 7-8 million Muslims.
A survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life last month found that American Muslims are the most moderate around the world.

Source: OnIslam & Newspapers