AsalamAlayKum from the World Urban Forum in Medellín, Colombia!
With 25,000+ people registered for this United Nations sponsored Biennial forum on Cities and Urbanism, there are bound to be many, many Muslims in attendance.
On the Morning of Saturday April 5, 2014, the First Official Day of WUF7, I asked where the “Multi-Faith Prayer or Meditation Room was?”
After a few moments at one of the numerous Information Kiosks, I was taken by one of the Volunteers to the 4th Floor of the Green (see what WUF7 Organizers did there!) Pavillion.
Pleasantly surprised to see that this wasn’t a Multi-Faith Prayer Space but a Dedicated Muslim Prayer Room, for both Males and Females!
The Qibla Direction was already posted. But no prayer times.
In 2010, I attended World Urban Forum 5 in Rio De Janeiro. The Prayer Space was Multi-Faith. Friday was the last day of the WUF5, like it is now.
Then, we didn’t perform Jumah there, instead because I knew where Rio’s ONLY Masjid was, me and group of African Muslims, hopped into Mini-Buses they had rented, and we headed out to make Jumah. Upon Arrival, we had just missed it. So we all prayed Dhuhr together.
I took it upon myself to schedule a Jumah here at WUF7, InshAllah…
WUF7 Jumah Qhutbah will be at 1 p.m. on Friday April 11 2014, on the 4th Floor of the Green Pavillion, in the Muslim Prayer Room.
Here is what the Brother’s Section looks like…
And since no sisters were present on this first day of WUF7, I was able to enter and take the following pictures…
You might have figured out by now, the WUF7 Organizers put the Sisters Section IN FRONT of the Brothers’ section. Aw well, can’t blame them, they did an outstanding job otherwise.
The following image suggests they even knew to place a Mihrab Prayer Niche in the Front of The Brothers’ section:
More Sisters’ section photos. It appears, for once, the Sisters got the better deal!
AsalamAlayKum, and if you’re attending the World Urban Forum and reading this, please come to Jumah, InshAllah.
HiMY SYeD
UPDATE: Alhumdulillah, Jumah was performed. Here’s your full story.
