<p>No way in hell is Islam a religion of god. Muhammad married one of his wives, Aisha, when she was six and he was in his 50s, and consumnated the marriage when she was 9. Now you can go on about "cultural differences,"but is it even normal for a grown man to be attracted to 9 year old. That would be like screwing a FOURTH GRADER, and today we call people who do that paedophiles. Would god really send a paedophile as a prophet? To learn more about Islam, go to [freedom</a> faith fath jacques press at fathfreedom.com](<a href=“http://www.fathfreedom.com%5Dfreedom”>http://www.fathfreedom.com). Fantastic site.</p>
<p>Many colleges have female only dormatories…that is in NO WAY different. Many girls feel uncomfortable being constantly surrounded by guys, especially when they are not dressed as they would like to appear in public.</p>
<p>If you think there should not be female only gym hours then there should be no female only dorms…why stop there, why not make the rooms themselves coed…lets even go a step further and share the beds…this is ridiculuse.</p>
<p>Those girls tuition money goes to support harvard facilities and they should be offered an opportunity to use the schools facility or they should be given a discount in their tuition to go get a membership at a gym.</p>
<p>BTW I am NOT a female…but I think if they feel like they need more privacy give it to them…</p>
<p>ANother thing ppl seem to thing since tax dollars are spent nothing religious should be implemented…</p>
<p>Any one complain about xmas decorations? hannukah (sry sp)? Wat abut easter? So wat if a little attention went to pleasing women…what happned to being a gentleman? This will only inconvience men for a few hours of the day…BE A MAN AND NOT A LITTLE BABY, how about growing a pair?</p>
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<p>They have the same opportunity EVERY Harvard student has. I believe I saw somewhere that the particular Rec Center is open something like 70 hours per week. They can go during ANY of that time.</p>
<p>This sets precedence that I don’t think many would want to see. Now who gets to do decide what is “reasonable” and what is not?</p>
<p>“Now who gets to do decide what is “reasonable” and what is not?”</p>
<p>That would be the private institution setting the rules. If someone thinks the private institution is in violation of some law, they can sue, in which case a court will decide what’s reasonable. Every kind of institution makes judgments about reasonableness every day.</p>
<p>“building a new gym instead of taking away gym hours from others.”</p>
<p>Are you serious? You think that devoting $10 million worth of college money and space to an entire building dedicated solely to women is more fair to men than assigning an existing building 6 hours a week? In one case you’re talking about millions of dollars being reserved for the exclusive benefit of women and in the other you’re talking about time worth a few thousand dollars being reserved for women. How does that fix the problem you allege?</p>
<p>“You are failing to consider my statement “for the most part”.”</p>
<p>That’s true. I think VMI being forced to go coed or shut its doors, on the one hand, and Bryn Mawr being allowed to do exactly what it wants gender-wise, on the other hand, is in the “most part.” I think VMI would tell you that that’s quite a significant difference in the law.</p>
<p>I didn’t know the Harvard student body was so polarised; it’s unbelievable how they’ve snowballed a simple “women only” hour issue into a debate on religious malpractice.</p>
<p>So, what would happen if Muslim men requested men-only workout times at one of the gyms “…because for them working out in a co-ed gym is uncomfortable, awkward or problematic in some way,”?</p>
<p>Just curious.</p>
<p>^ Well, Harvard would know that it’s just a ploy to humiliate it’s slot change for women.</p>
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<p>That’s a very skewed view of the world… women want women only hours and it’s justified, men want them and it’s an attempt at humiliation…</p>
<p>In case you didn’t realize, there are many religious sects in which men would indeed have a problem working out with females, and could easily think they’d benefit from male-only hours. If it’s such a reasonable thing, do you not think they should be granted them in the same way that women have been?</p>
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<p>Yes, except most universities also have male-only dorms… at least I know the ones that I’ve been to allow voluntary segregation by both genders.</p>
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<p>That’s honestly the dumbest thing I’ve ever read. No one is suggesting entirely removing gender barriers; we just want them harmonized, and the obviously discriminatory policy that is women-only gym hours without comparable men-only hours to be fixed. All the stuff you’ve suggested taking away is available to both males and females (at least the rooms and beds certainly are) and therefore aren’t a problem.</p>
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<p>They have the opportunity to use the gym, they just want more - to be allowed to use the gym at the expense of the men who use it. It’s not like women were barred from the gym before this, and I can’t understand why you would even think that that was the case.</p>
<p>As for them thinking that and being accommodated, what if another student (say, an Orthodox Jew) feels that dorm living is unacceptable to their religion? Should they be allowed to exempt? What if someone feels they’re too uncomfortable to live and use a communal bathroom; should Harvard be required to provide them with a private bathroom?</p>
<p>The fact is, at some level, these girls decided to go to the university; they knew the rules beforehand, they knew they might have to coexist with men, and so forth. Personally, I think they should just suck it up, because I’m really, really not a fan of the response to their religion-based concerns to be to bar men from that gym.</p>
<p>In case you didn’t realize, there are many religious sects in which men would indeed have a problem working out with females, and could easily think they’d benefit from male-only hours. If it’s such a reasonable thing, do you not think they should be granted them in the same way that women have been?</p>
<p>As you said, many, not just Muslims, religious people would prefer to work out in gender-segregated, which is further reason to allow these hours to stay put. I would be in favor of men-only hours if a group of men decided that they feel uncomfortable working out in the presence of women, and they presented themselves in a reasonable manner. Which is why I support these ladies: they had a legitimate concern and they voiced their issue in a respectable way. There is no double-standard for men in this situation. </p>
<p>That’s honestly the dumbest thing I’ve ever read. No one is suggesting entirely removing gender barriers; we just want them harmonized, and the obviously discriminatory policy that is women-only gym hours without comparable men-only hours to be fixed. All the stuff you’ve suggested taking away is available to both males and females (at least the rooms and beds certainly are) and therefore aren’t a problem.</p>
<p>Agree with you there. I really dont think that slippery slope arguments should ever be used (by either side). </p>
<p>As for them thinking that and being accommodated, what if another student (say, an Orthodox Jew) feels that dorm living is unacceptable to their religion? Should they be allowed to exempt? What if someone feels they’re too uncomfortable to live and use a communal bathroom; should Harvard be required to provide them with a private bathroom?</p>
<p>If residential life is required for the first few years, and a student has a problem with it, then I believe that it is perfectly reasonable for the student to request an exemption from this requirement. The difference between dorms and the gym is that students who wish to reside on campus must pay additional fees, while gym use is a right that is automatically granted to all students. If a student feels uncomfortable using a school facility they already paid for, then they should request reasonable accommodations to be made.</p>
<p>I had one post on here, but I regret even getting myself involved.</p>
<p>Honestly, who’s really benefiting from this? Please just stop posting. I’d rather waste my time on a chance thread (that says a lot).</p>
<p>i think that the change was a bit unnecessary.
i happen to go to a very big specialized high school in NYC and we have tons of muslim people here, and we all have co-ed gym. we have to wear a certain gym uniform, and the muslim girls usually buy the t-shirt and sweatpants that are available instead of shorts. they also keep their hair covered, and none of them have ever told me it was uncomfortable to do so. we have all different kinds of activities for each marking period of gym including stuff like weight-room and yoga, which might lead to people being in “compromising” positions, but no one even thinks about it. no one’s really looking at other people’s bodies. we even have co-ed SWIMMING together, in which case the muslim girls buy the full-body surf suits that are sold in stores. no one’s ever brought this issue up at my school, because its really not a big deal.</p>