During the month of Ramadan, this year falling on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and ending Thursday, March 19, 2026, Muslims who observe the holiday fast from sun up to sun down and pray five times a day at specific times. One of these prayer times is Dhuhr, the mid-day prayer, that typically occurs sometime around the beginning of Berkeley High School’s fourth period. California policy allows class missed while praying to count as an excused absence. The location in which students pray, however, can become a more complicated issue. To ensure inclusivity for Muslim students, BHS must provide a long-term spot for prayer during Ramadan in the M Gym.
The BHS Muslim Student Association (MSA) organizes a prayer space every day during Ramadan for students on campus. Last year, prayer was held in the M Gym, where male and female students were able to pray together on opposite sides of the space, with one person leading everyone’s prayer. In smaller areas where students are closer together while praying — such as classrooms — male and female students need separate spaces.
This year, there is a conflicting class in the M Gym during fourth period. Consequently, Ramadan prayer locations have changed several times. At the beginning of the holy month, students prayed outdoors near the football field bleachers. Once it began raining, the men were able to relocate to a small office, while the women found different, temporary spots each day, often ending up in teacher’s classrooms. Now, both men and women pray in the D Building, but in different rooms or on different floors. The space constraint requires that students pray in multiple waves, instead of everyone in the same room together at the same time.
There should be a large enough space for prayer during the school day that all Muslim students can pray together if they desire. Not only is it more comfortable and more organized to pray in a constant, larger spot for the entire month, but everyone praying together creates a stronger sense of community. For this reason, the MSA has created a petition, that as of Sunday, March 8, 2026 has 22 signatures, with the aim of once again being able to pray in the M Gym. The BHS administration must accept this petition for the sake of religious and cultural inclusivity, as well as to demonstrate equitable support for all student groups.
Fundamentally speaking, all students should have the ability to complete important religious practices without unnecessary roadblocks such as a lack of space for students to partake in said activities. Students should not have to overcome excessive barriers in order to partake in foundational religious practices, just for the sake of practicality.
Furthermore, the first amendment of our constitution protects ‘free exercise’ of religion in the United States, including in public schools. This essentially means that schools are not allowed to suppress expression of religion or participation in religious activities. While BHS does not ban students from praying during school hours, without a designated place for praying, Muslim students face unnecessary barriers preventing the practice of their religion. According to the petition, “Providing a cleaner and more appropriate space ... We believe this change would create a more respectful and organized solution for both students and staff.”
To ensure that Muslim students are being afforded their rights to the fullest extent, and to provide the easiest access to the practice of their religion, a policy enabling students to pray in a designated location during school hours must be implemented. Although the M Gym is sometimes used for classes, space can be made either at the end of fourth period or the beginning of fifth period for students to be able to pray. BHS must make further effort to accommodate the religious needs of their Muslim students and retain a sense of community.