<p>"In response to a request by female Muslim students, Harvard University has created women-only workout hours at one of its campus gyms. The decision has angered some students at the Ivy League university.</p>
<p>Since Jan. 28, the Quadrangle Recreational Athletic Center has been open only to women from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays.</p>
<p>The change was prompted by a request from the Harvard College Women's Center, which was approached by six female Muslim students, said Robert Mitchell, communications director of Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences....</p>
<p>Ola Aljawhary, a student and a member of the Harvard Islamic Society, said the women-only gym is needed.</p>
<p>I’m actually gonna have to agree with this article. I feel so intimidated and awkward at the gym with guys. I mean I wouldn’t go to the school board or anything (I’d probably just get over it), but I think Harvard is trying to cater to the students wants and needs. There were several of the girls that wanted women-only gym hours not just one. Leave the Muslim racism out of it please.</p>
<p>The question here is: Should an administration be responsive to reasonable requests/complaints from the student body? YES!!!</p>
<p>Homers said, “No, this was driven by the concerns of Muslim students and it is not right”. First off, while it was driven by Muslim students, other females (trixiee15) appreciate the new women-only gym hours, so it’s not likes its a miniscule minority of students who will benefit from this. Second of all, why does it matter WHAT ethnicity was pushing for this change? These are HARVARD students who do not feel comfortable using HARVARD facilities. Why is it wrong for HARVARD to accomadate HARVARD students, as best as it can? </p>
<p>It’s not as if Harvard is building an entire state-of-the art facility for the explicit purpose of serving women who do not feel comfortable working out in the presence of men. The gym is reserved for them for two time slots per week. (Really, not that big of an anoyance for those “outraged” by this decision).</p>
<p>Let’s face it, a lot of guys go to the gym are, at least partially, motivated by the presence of women in suggestive positions in skimply clothing. If women, do not want to be subjugated to that, then why should they? </p>
<p>PS: I am not a Muslim. I am a three-generation American who understands that the coexistence of different ethnicities is what makes the USA so great. Homers, you are a racist; college students should be open-minded.</p>
<p>I agree, I am a Muslim and live in the USA and must say it is the place where there is the least racial intolerance. But I also cannot deny that Muslims, all Muslims, have been seen negatively and suffered extreme scrutiny after a few radicals dirtied the face of Islam (this is just my perspective, I truly cannot be the judge of this since I have not lived in the Middle Eastern world and therefore do not share some of the same plights)</p>
<p>So, Muslim women are modest and like to protect themselves from the lus t f u l eyes of men they do not know, (most guys think like that anyway). Is there something wrong in wanting to do that? Also, its part of the religion, and by doing this, they maintain their honor, isn’t the US the place where you can pray as you please?</p>
<p>I commend these women for being brave and carving a Muslim life out of a society that is not dominantly Muslim.</p>
<p>ehhh idk. i don’t really think it’s all that fair just because they feel uncomfortable about working out in front of guys.</p>
<p>what about the skinny and unathletic guys who are too embarassed to workout in front of stronger more athletic guys?</p>
<p>i know in the case of the Muslim women their case is based on religion; however, it’s pretty hard to think of other cases involving other religions where in order to practice one religion you must inconvience others.</p>
<p>
no, guys mainly go to the gym to work out. if you’re lifting with your buddies and actually take working out seriously, which most people at the gym do, then working out is pretty much all that you are focused on. i think you are basing that off of stereotypes on television about guys at the gym.</p>
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yea but it is at the expense of others though.</p>
<p>i think that the fair thing to do is just to build a separate facility for men.</p>
<p>I dont see why Harvard chose to listen to these women. If they feel “uncomfortable”, THEY should be kicked out of the gym and not the rest (besides, they’re unattractive). If “not-being-looked-at-by-males” is part of their religion, then even wearing the veil is, and then why don’t they wear a veil at the gym? Aren’t they defying the code of their own religion??</p>
<p>This is all just a publicity stunt to gain religious mileage in a country not predominantly Islamic. Next we’ll be hearing about Columbia announcing that the Low Memorial Library be converted to a Mosque for Muslim students to pray in it.</p>
<p>I guess those girls now want Harvard to conduct a psycological test of all the girls working out at the gym to determine whether they are gay or not.</p>
<p>I only want people with last names that start with GR and middle names that include the letters L, I, and M in the gym when I am there. Otherwise I feel uncomfortable…</p>
<p>Ugh. These Muslims girls are welcome to their religious beliefs, stupid as I think they are. They are welcome to censure themselves, veil themselves, stay away from men, whatever. It’s when they start getting rules changed to infringe upon others to enable their pointless and arbitrary religious ridiculousness that I take issue. I don’t have a problem with accommodating innocuous religious requests - rescheduling exams, providing on-campus support for religious life, whatever. But screwing other students over for it crosses the line big time, in my books.</p>
<p>The most telling display of how skewed these girls’ view is that Ola Aljawhary of the Harvard Islamic Society said that she doesn’t think the rules discriminate against men. She must be stupid, because saying “based on your gender you cannot be here” is the very definition of gender-based discrimination. Maybe we should ban Jews during that hour of gym too - if I were a Muslim girl I’d be uncomfortable in their presence. Or would that be unpalatable to everyone’s religious sensibilities?</p>
<p>Good thing this issue hasn’t even been raised at Princeton. If it is, I will be leading the opposition to it.</p>
<p>When in Rome, do as the Romans do…We all know what happened to Rome. </p>
<p>I really don’t have the time to knock all of you intollerant bastards, but this is really not a big deal. Based on a LEGITIMATE religious belief, these women simply do not feel comfortable being seen by other men in suggestive positions. They are not tryingto ban Jews, that is something that someone on this board needlessly insiniuated. They have not requested that nor have they requested that the administration test to see who’s a lesbian. Stop using the slippery slope argument. </p>
<p>All they asked for were for two small time slots each week. GET OVER IT.</p>
<p>To the person who said this was a publicitt stunt: notice that the only news media that bothered to report this was Fox news. When Fox news reports something about Islam, it is almost always bad. Why the @#$% would they want that kind of publicity? </p>
<p>1of42: I must say you should probably pick someone else to head your intolerant opposition group; youre not a very effective debator. Stay away from the slippery slope.</p>
<p>Honestly, all those who believe that the requests of these ladies should go unheard, base their arguments on a principles of hate (they are Muslim, so we should not comply to them; Our country, our way; they are unattractive, so nobody will look at them, etc) or, in order to make the request of these ladies seem ridiculous (I only want people with last names that start with GR and middle names that include the letters L, I, and M in the gym when I am there. Otherwise I feel uncomfortable…; How about no Jews in the gym?; let’s make all the ladies take a test to see if they’re gay, etc).</p>
<p>Honestly, the only post that legitimately countered a point that I made was NewJack’s. You’re right, most men do go to the gym to work out, but we can all afford to glimpse at a hot lady working out.</p>
<p>According to the logic of those posters who are “outraged” by this small concession, Harvard should renege on (and disallow any further) accommodations for those who find themselves in a minority group. If this is the case then you should all be more vocal with your concerns. I think that you should all picket in front of one of Harvard’s dining halls and demand that they stop offering kosher options for Jewish students. After all, who are they to infringe on your right to enjoy what could have been paella or veal parmigiana? Maybe one of you could even tear up all of the wheelchair ramps? I mean, let’s be honest here, disabled students aren’t exactly the overwhelming majority…plus, those ramps really take away from the gorgeous architecture.</p>
<p>For some reason I am sensing that your outrage stems from the fact that these women are Muslim, not because they, along with every other female (Muslim or otherwise), have been granted a measly 6 hours per week to themselves.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that just because you find something offensive doesn’t necessarily give your argument any merit whatsoever. Next time you feel the need to complain about Harvard compromising with minorities, take a moment to remember the Wampanoag people (coincidently, the majority in 17th century Massachusetts) who made allowances (willingly or not) when it came to culture, religion, and land so Harvard could exist in the first place.</p>
<p>At one time in American history, whites had a problem going into the restroom and seeing blacks there so they created white’s only public restrooms. Same for public water fountains. That practice was blatent racism. Harvard’s practice is blatent sexism. Non-Muslim Harvard students ought to be entering into the gym during muslim hours and staying there until they are arrested. The civil rights movement would be alive and well if that happened.</p>
<p>While it is fair game to call Harvard’s policy a sexist act, it is certainly not racist. Muslim men cannot enter during these specified hours, while any kind of lady can. </p>
<p>GoPrincetonTiger, I can’t believe I’m responding to your downright stupidity (you are so beyond unreasonable). First off, youre engaging in the slippery slope argument. Second of all, your argument is just downright STUPID (it deserves emphasis). </p>
<p>I can’t believe I’m dragging myself into this, but it is fair to say that looks are very subjective and there are hot women in EVERY race. My former girlfriend is Lebanese and she is certifiably hot. She is not the only example, it is just that those who choose to cover themselves, do so in order to not appeal to you. They don’t WANT you to think that they’re hot. THat’s the whole point. In my opinion, arab girls who flaunt it are hot. </p>
<p>In a your own (slightly modified) words, PrincetonTiger: There’s NO end to YOUR stupidity!</p>
<p>Well, we Muslims are sorry that our women don’t like to expose themselves and appeal to your desires. I am sorry that they want to maintain a shred of dignity and decency. I am sorry that when you marry a Muslim woman, she is most likely a virgin.</p>
<p>Seriously, where do you come off saying they are not attractive. How many Muslim countries have you been to? How many Muslims do you know? Or are your comments the product of media and negativity towards Muslims that is so ubiquitous in the US and other countries.</p>