Toilets... by Jamil Shawwa

The title speaks for itself, but if you allow me and indulge me in elaborating a little on this title, subject, that is vital to all living creatures, humans and animals, the title might make more sense, and less disgusting as some might think it is. First, I have a declaimer to make, this subject has nothing to do with my midlife crises, it is something that I have encountered in the past and still encounters until now. Now, when I was a law student at Cairo University, we had the toilets in the basement, in the law school, and next to them, we had a little mosque where students can pray. It was a shame to have these two areas side by side, however, it would have been ok, if the toilets were decent but they were not, they were awful, not dirty necessary but over all, in my opinion, not human. Moving to Washington DC, we have a nice mosque in the most prestigious street in Washington DC. The view from the outside is majestic, from the inside, it is a combination of people living there, cooking and just having all sorts of things. The toilets as in Cairo law school are in the basement, next to the women praying section, and the view is the same, terrible. You go there to clean up before praying and it is an annoying process that probably make many people feel that praying at home is just much less hassle. I must say though that the wife does not like to go into my bathroom for some reason, she has signs for her and the kids not to come close. So, not fair. Back to he DC mosque toilets; no paper towels, not enough lighting, toilets are old fashion before the industrial age where you have to bend the knees, a hole, no toilets- that goes for both men and women, terrible. I just do not get it, what is the same factor between the toilets in the law school next to the little mosque in Cairo and the toilets in the mosque in Washington DC few blocks from the White House and the residence of the vice president; both places are run by the same mentality, same style of thinking, same people. You can go to the moon, or anywhere, but if you are the same as you were from your began, then nothing changes.