Posted on 09/30/2006 3:15:49 AM PDT by Doctor13
The Muslim month of Ramadan is being celebrated in Windsor Castle with the blessing of the Queen, it was revealed.
A special prayer room has been set aside in Her Majesty's favourite residence for the Islamic month of fasting.
The room is being used by just one person who works in the gift shops at the castle.
Every workday at 1.30pm visitor services assistant Nagina Chaudhry locks herself in the room to roll out her prayer mat and point it towards Mecca.
She then dons her hijab - headscarf - and begins the half-hour lunchtime prayer required of all Muslims during Ramadan.
Miss Chaudhry said she was thrilled when castle bosses allowed her to use a specially-converted office in the historic Saxon Tower.
"It feels amazing to be the first Muslim to read namaz (prayers) at Windsor Castle," said the 19-year-old.
"I was reciting the prayer with more power than usual because I knew I was making history."
University student Miss Chaudhry, who works at the castle for two days a week, said being able to pray during her normal lunchbreak made the fasting easier.
"Ramadan is hard at the start because the days are long and your body's not used to it. At 1.30pm I would normally be going out to lunch, but because I'm praying it seems to go faster.
"The prayer really relaxes me and gives me more energy for the rest of the day."
Miss Chaudhry said she was pleasantly surprised when her request for a special prayer room was granted.
"I was worried that I might not get it because there are so many misconceptions about Islam. I've only worked there for two months, so I was surprised when everybody went out of their way to help me.
"The Queen is the head of the Church of England so it's great to know she respects other people's faith.
"I think I'm the only Muslim who works here so I feel special knowing they've made such an effort for me."
A spokesman for the Royal Household confirmed that the room had been set aside for prayers during Ramadan.
"We have had Muslim employees before who have taken time out to pray, but a decision has been made to make a particular room available during Ramadan," she said.
"There is no cost to the change of use because the office will continue to be used throughout the working week.
The spokesman added that she was not able to say what the Queen's views on the room were, but confirmed that she had been consulted.
"Because this is a decision that has been reached which affects Windsor Castle, the Queen would be aware of the decision," the spokesman added.
When Jihadists take over, the Windsors and their family business are histoire.
Tolerance of different religions is the hallmark of enlightened Western civilization.
I remember several years ago when Bonnie Prince Charlie said that he wanted to have more Islamic studies in their schools. I also remember former U.S. SecState Colin Powell saying that he thought we should bring in more teachers, more journalists and more clergy from the Islamic world.
Apparently, they have lost their minds.
l
"Twenty years ago, there was a demonstration in front of British Parliament with signs that read, "Islam, our religion today; your religion tomorrow." Signs throughout the kingdom of Saudi Arabia read, "An Islamic World." The Observer (UK) of 4 Nov. 2001 reported, "We will replace the Bible with the Koran in Britain." Daniel Pipes's commentary of 12 November 2001 "Islam Conquering America," lists the Islamization Agenda. The Washington Post of 15 November 2001, titled, "Bountiful, Blessed Month," wrote that in a Fairfax, Virginia school, 35 students faced the U.S. flag hanging in a corner and recited the Pledge of Allegiance as 'One nation under Allah, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, 'Inshallah,' ("God willing")
"Today there are more practicing Muslims in England than there are practicing Anglicans. France is a basket case where young non-Muslims girls are being accosted on the streets for not covering their hair. Germany invited Turkish guest workers (gastarbeiter) at a time when they were needed, but today Germany is faced with high unemployment. Even financial incentives are not enough to entice their "gastarbeiters" to return to Turkey. They know that they live better in a Christian country than in a Muslim one."
Why is she going to a University?
Next to the prayer room they are going to have a class on bomb making and weapons care.
/sarc
This is idiotic...and I'm serial.
Not really big news. It is only normal to either not employ a religious person or give him an opportunity to pray regularly, especially in jobs as demanding as being the royalty's servant.
Very stupid. A once great country is willingly cutting its own throat.
Anyone out there still wondering what camp Colin Powell is in? It was at his request, to go to the U.N. one more time, that we delayed going into Iraq. IMHO, it was in that period that the explosives were stockpiled for the IEDs and the final remnants of the WMDs were hidden.
I know some of the boys who are fighting in Iraq and if they should fall, it will be difficult placing all of the blame on the $#!+tards who are planting those explosives.
,,, so, how many Anglicans are working in the House of Saud?
" This 19 year old girl works in the castle gift shop 2 days a week (for 2 months) and she gets a private lunch/rest area?"
Or, alternatively, she said to her boss "can I have somewhere to pray during my lunch hour" and her boss said "sure, that office there is free at that time, use that"
This is news?
Inbred pea brained Charles, this has his fingerprints all over it
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