Harvard's Women Only Gym Hours: Fair or Unfair?
curves, wacky finds
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This story dates back to March, but did anyone else hear about Harvard segregating its gym in order to comply with famale Muslim demands?
Apparently, several months ago, the Harvard Athletic Department reacted to requests from Muslim female students to create a female-only environment so that they may workout while still abiding by their religious rules. They feel uncomfortable wearing workout clothes around men, and therefore, they claim, have missed out on hitting the gym.
The solution... The Quadrangle Recreational Athletic Center has restricted, female-only hours from 8am to 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 3pm to 5pm on Mondays.
Ola Aljawhary - a student at Harvard - said the women only gym is a necessity.
"These hours are necessary because there is a segment of the Harvard female population that is not found in gyms, not because they don't want to work out, but because for them working out in a co-ed gym is uncomfortable, awkward or problematic in some way," she told Boston University's Daily Free Press.
My Thoughts:
It's important to respect others' religions - to an extent. The simple fact is that everyone attending Harvard is paying money which goes toward the gym. It's not fair that men are restricted from using it at certain hours. Suppose someone has a religious believe that doors are evil? Would all doors have to be removed during certain hours of the day?
Harvard, and all universities, should put forth a legitimate effort to accommodate everyone's religion - but if religious beliefs restrict you from using a gym which allows both sexes, then maybe a gym which is PUBLIC to all students is not for you.
If the women are that intense about those religious beliefs, then they can join the local Curves near Harvard.
What does everyone else think?
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on 6/24/2008
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