I change planes in Istanbul all the time and have never seen this in the middle of the lounge there. There is a mosque in the airport and people who want to pray go there.

Furthermore, while I have never worked in an office in a Muslim country, I'd be willing to bet there's little praying in the middle of the cubicles.

Next time you are transiting through Riyadh, try pulling out a cross and a bible and see what happens. (or worse, tefillin and a talit if you are Jewish).

Is Saudi Arabia's level of religious tolerance our aspirational goal here?

I don't have any issue with Muslims quietly praying in public, even though some parts of the Muslim world don't feel the same way about observing other religions in their public spaces.

Sidebar: would a foreigner reading a Bible in the international transit area of RUH really run into issues? Sitting there in the gate area, waiting for your BA (or whatever) flight to Europe, reading your own English-language Bible, not speaking with any Saudis...what would actually happen to you?

Intimidating? Really?

Some clarification on muslim prayers
 

I read through all the posts in this thread and wanted to shed some light on the prayer process in Islam.

• The five prayers times are 1) Before Sunrise, 2) Noon, 3) Mid Afternoon, 4) Sunset, 5) Late Evening.
  
• In group setting (2 or more people) prayer 1, 4, 5 are loud prayers meaning the Imam or leader will recite verses out loud.
  
• In travel, people can combine some prayers together and are allowed to offer half of the requirements, so can offer two prayers in one prayer's time.
  
• Group prayers have 27 times more blessings than single prayer.
  
• Its common courtesy to ask nearby people to let them know that the group will take 5-10 minutes for prayers and hopefully doesnt bother them and to thank those people when done with prayers.
  
• In a moving vehicle or aircraft, its not required to face Mecca.
  
• Those joined late will still get more blessings but will need to continue their remaining prayers after the leader is done.
  
• Women have to pray in a row behind men.

Last time I checked, the 17th century was over.

If this is the case inside the lounge, I would have problem with it.

Got to see couple a Jews last week in FCO praying agaisnt a wall, at B gates.
I appreciated their discretion.

I fly out of TLV just about every other week and haven't seen groups praying there in any lounge (or in the hallway for that matter), but I have seen an individual here and there. That said, there is a Synagogue at the airport. On LY long haul flights to NY, however, there's usually a morning prayer group in the galley.

Several years ago, I had a client that flew to Israel. On his return flight home from Tel Aviv, a man approached him and an older Jewish man asked if he would join their minyan (he was not Jewish, but he was fat and had a gray beard). My client declined and said he wasn't Jewish. I told him he should have said yes!!! I want to know what they do in one! :-)

What's your point? Because some adherents of a religion are intolerant, it's okay to be intolerant of that religion?

To the OP: was the group in the lounge praying quietly or vocally?

tashi: is it possible that a group would pray together but do it quietly (perhaps doing their individual prayers) in a setting like an airline lounge?

So part of the prayer has to be led by Imam and other parts are done individually. The individual prayers become optional in travel so most people would do the group prayer and then un-assemble.

Like I mentioned, except for the early morning, sunset and night prayers, the other two which are noon and mid afternoon are quiet. The group quietly follows the leader. When I say loud for those prayers, doesnt mean that the leader is screaming, just enough volume that people know what verses he is reciting.

I have little respect for Islam, but even less for people who whine about them praying in an airport lounge in Italy.

+1

Last Christmas around 20 th Dec or so , at a very busy Wal Mart parking lot, saw a muslim chap lay out his mat and start praying....only problem ? he was taking up an empty parking lspace !
We have taken the PC thing too far, as you say, sport a copy of the binle in Pakistan (recepient of your and my tax dollars largesse every year and see what happens ! The US Embassy will have devil of a time to get you out......

Don't read further if you are already close to blowing a gasket over someone praying.

8th March 1977: Muslim passengers waiting for flights at Terminal 3, Heathrow Airport, London, facing Mecca for prayers. :eek:

http://gizmodo.com/5987350/scenes-fr...till-civilized