Posted on 06/03/2008 2:08:53 PM PDT by forkinsocket
New flats for elderly people have opened in Bristol - with toilets that do not face Mecca.
The Muslim-friendly Very Sheltered Housing (VSH) scheme in Lincoln Street, Lawrence Hill, also includes beds that allow a tenant's feet to point in the right direction.
Lincoln Gardens cost more than £6 million, has 55 bedrooms and was put up by the city council and the Guinness Trust on the site of the former Wainbrook elderly persons' home.
It includes 19 flats suitable for "tenants from the Muslim community" following local consultation.
A council spokesman said: "The toilets in these flats are orientated so that the user doesn't face Mecca.
"Beds are placed so that feet are facing south east and not north west.
"There is a door between the kitchen and living room plus extra ventilation in the kitchen to stop smells escaping.
"And plumbing has been carried out to allow for the addition of a bidet or a shower head to allow the washing of the toilet bowl."
Councillor Derek Pickup, cabinet member for care, tackling crime and deprivation, said: "Older people consistently tell us they want to live as independently as possible for as long as possible.
"This very sheltered housing programme helps do just that and is already one of our city's major success stories."
The development is the seventh VSH scheme to open in the city.
Work is under way on an eighth, in Bishopsworth, which is being developed in partnership with Brunelcare and contractors Leadbitter.
The scheme is not the first to be designed with religious sensibilities in mind.
Two and a half years ago a block of housing association flats opened in Wilson Street, St Paul's, with bathrooms especially designed not to offend Muslims.
The toilets were built so they did not face south east. They had powerful extractor fans in the kitchen because, it was said, Asian families preferred steam-cooking, which leads to condensation problems.
They had larger kitchen cupboards because Asian families apparently tended to use more pots and pans.
There was also a designated area of worship for Sikhs.
Aashyana Housing Association chief executive, Saeed Anwar, said at the time: "We didn't need to consult with the Muslim community about the toilets. We knew this would be pleasing to them if the toilets were not facing Mecca. It didn't mean any extra cost to us - it was just a question of making sure they were not facing south east.
"If we can build homes which are pleasing to all members of the community, then this is a good thing.
"If an English tenant moved in, they would use the cupboards or the toilets and not think about them - but it can make an extra difference to others."
At the time Farooq Siddique, from the Bristol Muslim Cultural Society, welcomed developments which considered the cultural diversity of tenants.
Do the city officials come by five times a day to kiss the muzzie’s butts too?? Good bye UK. Nice to have known you...Sad
If this was done with private money, then no big deal. The developers made their decision to target a certain demographic — and more power to them if it turns out to be the correct one.
If this was done with government funds, then something is terribly wrong.
Maybe I’m reaching a bit - but I can easily visualize the day in which architects (here in the US) will have to consider more than just the ADA when designing apartment buildings, houses and condos.
With respect to the religion... Oh wait, I don’t have respect for that religion. This is ridiculous!
Is this so that they can pretend that they don't really poo?
Do they spend their whole day walking around never turning their tail to face the capital of the Islamic empire?
As a religion, it seems to be nothing more than institutionalized Obsessive-Complusive Disorder.
I would prefer they build larger cockroach motels. “Pests check in, but they don’t check out”
Thats funny both my toilets face Mecca
Dhimmitude. I guess in Bristol they welcome their new muslim overlords.
New flats for elderly people have opened in Bristol - with toilets that do not face Mecca.LOL! I don't need to read anymore. That's all I need to read from THIS article!
Lincoln Gardens cost more than £6 million, has 55 bedrooms and was put up by the city council and the Guinness Trust.
Public and alcohol money — Guiness. HRH The Prince of Wales is the patron of the Guiness Trust.
Insanity rules Britannia.
Spot on. Tom Monaghan built that Catholic-friendly community in Florida. If people buy into it, what’s the big deal? As long as there is no governmental coercion . . . .
Looks like the Brits are throwing in the towel...
In that case, then yes — it’s sad to see. Too bad — I have dual citizenship (US/UK), I have only been there once since I was a year old. Each year, I find less and less reason to visit.
I hope the British people, of “stiff upper lip” fame waken up soon.
I agree. As long as it was built with private money and not by government coercion or regulation, there is no problem. It doesn’t harm non-muslims at all and it is accommodating to Muslims. It’s not like they’re writing in Arabic all over the housing or including Korans in every room. This is such a minor and insignificant incident. Not all Muslims are terrorists and even if they were, it is the burden of the state to prove so, ie people can’t just assume these developers are “giving in” to some political or social pressure. If a private developer wants to do this then I say why the hell not? Is John Doe hurt by taking a dump facing away from Mecca. NO.
Ah, put put up by city council. So it wasn’t a private developer which means they are trying to act all politically correct. That’s too bad. Still, it doesn’t really hurt non-muslims so much as it’s just a stupid policy.
Keep in mind that they saved money by not installing toilet paper holders as they are not needed, and are probably offensive to stink-fingered mooselimbs.
I wonder if any of the Muzzies have ever considered what’s facing East when they sit on a West facing toilet.
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