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Sarah Dallof and Randall Jeppesen reporting Muslim cab drivers at Salt Lake International Airport are stunned that they've been locked out of the building where they've prayed for years.
The building is owned by the Salt Lake International Airport, which cites "safety and security concerns" for the closure. While the drivers are upset the building is closed, they say they're more upset they're not being told why.
Religious tension seems to be playing a part in this. Off camera, several people complained about the Muslims' religious practices, such as washing their feet in the sinks and said they monopolize the building, which had been open to all. But there are also accusations that some non-Muslim drivers have physically tried to stop prayers.
Sulejman Omerovic is preparing to pray, a ritual he does five times a day as a Muslim. "When you pray and when you are aware of God the Creator, you stay out of trouble," he says.
He'll alternately stand and kneel for several minutes in the freezing weather. He used to pray inside a building located in the cab waiting area, but recently, he says, "We saw the sign over there that the building is temporarily closed until further notice. That's all we know."
The structure is owned by the Salt Lake International Airport. For the past couple years, it has been open to all drivers as a courtesy. While some use it for prayers, it's also used for meals and breaks, and there are bathrooms and running water. Now there are these portable restrooms outside.
Cab driver Mansour Arow says, "As Muslims, when we use the bathroom, we have to wash. And truly the portable bathrooms does not give us that opportunity, and we cannot carry jug with us in the car."
Airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann repeatedly denied our request for an interview, saying there were potential legal ramifications. She did say the airport closed the building pro-actively due to security and safety concerns.
There was a fight recently. Drivers say it started when a shuttle driver tried to block a Muslim cab driver from praying.
Mohaned Alahmed said, "He say the "F" word against me, and I didn't do anything. And he grabbed me from my shirt and hit me with his hand."
The airport will meet with city leaders to discuss the situation. The building may re-open, but it may not. For now, religious and non-religious drivers are out in the cold.
Religious debate among drivers isn't just in Utah. There have been protests in several states, including Indiana and Kansas, over airports providing foot baths for Muslims. It's not a debate that's going away anytime soon.
