Twin Cities school district's plans for prayer rooms, foot washing stations draw national outrage
A Twin Cities school district's plans to include spaces for prayer and washing of feet in new construction and building upgrades has drawn national attention and outrage.
The district insists these updates come at the urging of "user groups," and that the prayer space comes as a multipurpose room that can be used for any number of activities.
"At all sites multipurpose needs have included calming/quiet, studying, testing or a small club or academic gathering. These spaces are scheduled out and supervised by staff," wrote a district spokesperson. "All students are welcome to use each of these spaces."
The news, however, has drawn the attention of America's top elected officials, including Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Tom Emmer, who have compared the plans to Sharia law, and slammed the decision as a double standard of how faith is perceived in schools.
"Turns out, when the woke left says they want religion out of schools, they're only talking about Christianity," Emmer posted online.
Imam Makram El-Amin says he wasn't surprised to see the response, although he says he was disappointed.
"This is part of a very intentional effort to demonize and to create a space where folks are through their lack of knowledge and/or engagement to Muslims," El-Amin said. "Because of the human condition, it's very easy to formulate thoughts, ideas and concepts, and be as wrong as two left shoes about them, and act upon them as if they are fact."
El-Amin, who has served Minneapolis Masjid An-Nur Mosque for decades, says many area schools, including colleges like the University of St. Thomas and Macalester College, have similar spaces.
"There are many varying groups, faith and otherwise, who seek and ask for accommodation so that they can show up and be the best version of themselves," he said. "We're in a very slippery slope right now. There are times now where truth becomes relative. Everyone has their own version. Truth is spun in a way to be framed in a positive light for the one who has the biggest microphone at that moment."
Listen to the full story on "Bigger Than Belief"
You can find the entire conversation with Imam Makram El-Amin on this week's episode of "Bigger Than Belief," a weekly podcast exploring faith, belief and religion, all through the stories of believers. With an emphasis on understanding belief through personal experience, we aim to create a conversation about faith that is fair, honest and easy to understand, regardless of what you do (or don't) believe. We'll also take a journalistic approach to concepts and questions that are difficult to understand, while helping to make sense of current events impacting believers in our communities.
You can find new episodes of "Bigger Than Belief" each week wherever you get your podcasts, or on WCCO's YouTube page.
