Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, one of the busiest in the United States, is installing special foot-wash stations in its restrooms to help Muslim passengers perform wudu, the ritual ablution before prayer. Work on the stations in Terminal D restrooms is due to be completed by the end of this year. Separate facilities will be built for men and women.
According to Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records, the project was formally registered on Jul 31. It covers one station in the men’s restroom and one in the women’s. The cost is put at about $300,000, but it is not being paid for from the airport’s own funds; the project is privately financed.
Authorities said washing feet in ordinary restroom basins often leaves floors wet and slippery, creating a risk of accidents and possible damage to the basins. The new stations will make restrooms easier to keep clean and safe.
Several other major international airports in the United States already have low basins of this kind and interfaith prayer spaces, among them Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
The initiative has drawn mixed reactions on social media. Some have criticised it, while others say it is not an attempt to promote any religious ideology but a practical measure to keep restrooms clean and safe while taking account of the needs of international passengers.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report