The Carleton University Students’ Association’s (CUSA) new multi-faith centre is in its final stages of planning. The centre will be open to all religions, faiths, and spiritual opinions, according to vice-president (student services) Reda Zarrug.
A centre of this description would certainly be beneficial to students and groups on campus. Differing faiths would be able to collaborate and learn from each other, and students could practise their religion in a non-judgmental environment while at school.
It is clear there is a need for this type of space on campus. Vice-president (external) of the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), Buraidah Razack, said the MSA has been asking CUSA for a new prayer room for a long time because the current one is always packed.
But according to Zarrug, the centre won’t have specific programming and a co-ordinator will not be hired.
This could become problematic because some faith-based groups on campus have a lot less representation than others, and a multi-faith centre should cater to all religious and faith-based communities.
All faith-based communities should have equal access to the multi-faith centre and equal ability to utilize the space. No group’s beliefs are more worthy of the space than another’s, regardless of their population size on campus.
CUSA needs to ensure different religious groups have equal opportunity to use the new space.
CUSA should consider hiring a co-ordinator for the multi-faith centre to ensure they are giving different religions equal programming opportunities and access to the new space.
