Muslims may get their own special places for prayer at both ports of entry in Barbados.
George Hutson Minister of International Business and International Transport promised to look into their request recently in the House of Assembly.
Parliamentary representative for The City, Patrick Todd broached the matter during the second reading of the Barbados Port Inc. (Exemption from Taxation) Bill.
Todd who is also Minister of State, Ministry of Housing and Lands told the House that he would like the government “to consider favourably their (Muslims’) request to have facilities to enable them when they are called to prayer at various hours of the day.”
Todd said the special facility would create a space for Muslims to wash their feet at both the sea port and airport and “not cause inconvenience to the rest of the community by having to wash their feet in a face basin in a washroom.”
Todd described the request as “reasonable”.
“I believe that with the necessary communication and negotiation with the relevant government department this can be implemented to such an extent … that all sections of the community – various religious groups are respected in terms of their particular concerns,” Todd added.
Hutson then assured Todd that they were looking at providing such a facility at the Grantley Adams International Airport and hopefully something could be done in the not too distant future.
