Dr. Modi Al-Zahrani

Al-Jazeera

 

I went to the Grand Mosque the other day. While I was searching for a place to sit, “The Library” sign caught my eye. I never knew there was one inside the Grand Mosque until I saw the sign. I was happy. I thought I should check it out. I went straight to the library, located on the second floor, only to discover that women are not allowed in there. There was a big sign on the door “No entry for women”. I was shocked.



I don’t understand why the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques would put up a sign inside the Grand Mosque banning female visitors from setting a foot in the library. I can’t wrap my head around such a ban.



And why are men, on the other hand, allowed to go in there and have access to the rich resources the library offers? It is really frustrating and disappointing that female Umrah performers, especially those coming from outside the Kingdom, cannot visit this important place. It would have been a good memory for them to take home and cherish.



The Grand Mosque is supposed to be the only place where visitors, male and female alike, should not feel they are being discriminated against. They should be treated equally. After all, Muslim men and women of all colors and races circle around the Ka’aba (the large cuboid building at the center of the Grand Mosque)  together and at any time they like during the day or the night.



I also wonder why the praying areas designated for women inside the Grand Mosque are smaller than the areas for men. Most women bring in their children with them when they go there. They need a lot of space because a smaller space can be annoying to some women as the praying areas can get filled quickly. Why are women who want to pray in the second floor in order to get away from crowd denied this right while men are allowed to do so?



I can understand that such procedures are taken because the second floor gets crowded during prayers and this might bother the women. But I don’t understand why women are not allowed to enter the library although it is in an area that is not crowded.