Faith on campus

Langara is a safe and open place for students to express their faith, according to the leaders of many faith-based student associations.

Members of Langara’s religious community agree that Langara accommodates most of their needs by providing services and spaces that allow them to practice their religions on campus without difficulty.

A place for prayer

Yahya Abdi Hadi, president of the Muslim Student Association, said that he practices faith in everything he does, including what he eats and how he communicates with others. Muslims have to pray five times a day, and Abdi Hadi said leaving campus to go to a mosque would be a hassle.

“In terms of religious practices I have to uphold, [having a place for] prayer is the one most needed on campus,” he said. Langara has a prayer room on campus where Muslims can pray throughout the day. There is also a room reserved for Jumu’ah, an afternoon prayer held on Fridays that is mandatory for all adult males.

Belonging

President of the Jewish Student Association Ben Edelstein said having religious clubs on campus is important because it provides common ground and support for students.

“Langara is an incredible campus that really does encourage everyone to be independent and to identify with whatever groups they want to,” Edelstein said.

Supporting religion

Langara provides student-run clubs with materials, such as free printing and banners, according to Ervin Oktariadi, president of the Langara Christians Club. He said Langara is open to religion, and people are understanding when it comes to religious differences.

Nicolas Pecarski, a philosophy student, said he does not identify as religious, but supports Langara’s faith- based student clubs. “There should be clubs run by everybody, there shouldn’t be any kind of bias,” he said.

Reported by Renee Sutton