Father of three says he was denied entry into the Sharjah Mosque
■ and attendees might be disturbed. Asad thought that children should be allowed after they reach a certain age.
“We should definitely encourage children to go to mosques, however, I think it should be done when they can understand their surroundings and adopt the habits to fulfil the purpose of going to the mosque rather than disturbing the environment,” the 23-year-old said.
For those who want to build the habit in children to attend prayers at the mosque, she said: “This habit can be developed from a young age but not when they are toddlers or at the age when they don’t understand their surroundings. They usually treat the area as a playground because of the large courtyard and that can cause inconvenience for people.”
Sharjah authority responds
Gulf News contacted the Department of Islamic Affairs in Sharjah about the incident with Adil and a representative said that children are allowed at Sharjah Mosque.
The representative added that sometimes families with children are stopped from entering if the mosque is full and the noise level is high. At Sharjah Mosque, the women’s section for prayer is situated in a way that it is connected with the main courtyard and the men’s section. If children are making too much noise in one section, the other areas are affected, he added.
The representative said that in the past, the mosque authorities have taken special measures to cater to those with children. During Ramadan, a designated tent for women with children was set up with a playground next to it, added the representative.
Morgan
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