Is it fair to ask someone to choose between passion and faith? Muslim students at Western found themselves facing this dilemma last month, when they were assigned to draw nude models in an introductory art class.
The professor refused their requests for an alternative project, and the UWO Senate upheld the decision, giving the students the choice of drawing the models or failing the course and being unable to continue in the Fine Arts program.
This story is one among many detailed in a Canadian Federation of Students report on Wednesday. The Final Report of the Task Force on Needs of Muslim Students examines Islamophobia in colleges and universities across Ontario. The report summarizes the testimony of over 1,000 Muslim students who participated in hearings over the last seven months, and outlines solutions to the issues addressed. CFS hopes that this report will be taken seriously by each of the schools whose students participated in the hearings.
Terry Downey, executive VP of the Ontario Federation of Labour, was present during some of the hearings and said she was shocked by what she heard. Downey, who is African-Canadian, said, “it reminded me of stories my mother used to tell me of things said during the civil rights movement in the 1960s.”
One goal of the report was to “develop a better understanding of the needs of Muslim students and to determine how well Ontario universities and colleges are addressing those needs,” said Jesse Greener, Ontario Chairperson for the CFS. The report also aims to encourage students who have experienced Islamophobia to act immediately and register complaints with the appropriate campus office and the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
Lack of access to adequate prayer space is a widely reported concern. Some Muslims pray five times a day, and cramped and overcrowded facilities lead to delays. The report frames prayer-space problems as “a human rights issue,” noting that adequate space for worship “should be made available by the institution.” Ideally, multiple prayer spaces, segregated by gender and equipped with facilities for performing ablution-ritual washing-should exist across campuses for easy access. Skeptics voiced concerns over the cost of these changes, but contributing members of the Task Force insist that the changes are not drastic and therefore will not be costly.
The St. George campus already offers four prayer spaces for Muslim students, according to Student Affairs director Susan Addario.
“Although they will continue to use these spaces, many of them are looking forward to having a dedicated centre where they can engage in dialogue around issues related to faith and religion,” Addario said.
With the formal opening of the campus’s Multi-Faith Centre last Sunday, the issue of prayer space on St. George campus may be defused. U of T has over 30 groups that self-identify as a faith or religious community, and the centre will be available for all of them to use. Addario expected use to pick up in the fall, since not many faith groups have heard of the centre yet.
The Jewish Students Association, in partnership with the Muslim Students Association and Compass Catholic Fellowship, have already hosted an event at the Multi-Faith Centre to promote conversation between members of the different religions.
Tilly Shames, associate director of Hillel of Greater Toronto, is enthusiastic about the new centre, saying that it will “create a more inclusive space on campus.”
The report also discusses residence life extensively. Alcohol consumption, lack of halal food options, and co-ed residences are among the issues addressed, although they may not reflect concerns expressed by Muslim students at U of T. All U of T residences are alcohol-free in public areas, and all offer meal plans with halal food options. The Muslim Students Association website also has a list of places on campus that sell halal food.
Athletic facilities pose problems for Muslim women who wear hijabs and are forbidden to reveal their bodies to men. Although they cannot use the facilities, they are still required to pay student fees for them. The report suggests establishing women-only gym hours, which Wahid Chisti Valiante of the Canadian Islamic Congress says will benefit all women who are uncomfortable with the co-ed environment.
Those involved in the report hope that students will read it, as well as university and college administrators, and governmental officials. Valiante even hopes the international community will look to the task force’s work on fighting Islamophobia.
“We hope this will become a model for the international arena.”
