A Target store in Apple Valley, Minnesota, has transformed six of its fitting rooms into dedicated prayer spaces for Muslim employees, according to photos shared by a customer with Alpha News. The images show signs on the doors reading 'Ramadan Mubarak' and 'This room is being used for prayer. Please do not enter.' The cordoned-off area also features a similar sign near the entrance.
Customer Discovery and Reactions
The concerned customer, who visited the store in the Twin Cities suburb, captured the setup and shared it with Alpha News. The signs use the Arabic greeting 'Ramadan Mubarak,' which translates to 'Happy Ramadan' or 'Blessed Ramadan,' a common phrase during the Islamic holy month of fasting. The store's initiative is not unique in Minnesota, as other Target locations have previously implemented similar prayer rooms for employees.
Previous Instances of Inclusivity
In 2023, a Reddit post on the Target community forum titled 'HR set up a prayer room for Muslim TMs (team members)' featured a photo of a similar space. Employees from Minnesota commented, praising the move. One wrote, 'We had a lot of those in Minnesota stores. It was very thoughtful and considerate and truly inclusive.' Another added, 'Minnesota here, we have a prayer room too! Our HR recently decorated it. I don’t know how many team members we have who actually take advantage of it but it’s really nice!' They noted, 'We’re a very white store.' A third employee remarked, 'We love our Somali neighbors here.'
Religious Inclusivity Debate
A commenter suggested, 'It’d be nice if they did something like this for Christians,' but the original poster clarified that 'the room isn’t strictly for Muslims.' They explained, 'Anyone who’s religious can use it as they please,' adding that 'Christianity is one of the most widely known and practiced religions, whereas Muslims and Jews have been oppressed and discriminated against for years, even decades.' This sparked a broader discussion about religious accommodation in retail spaces.
Timing and Context
The timing of the photos remains unclear, as Ramadan occurred from the evening of February 17 to March 19 in 2026. Eid al-Adha, another major Islamic holiday, began on the evening of May 27 and ended on May 30. The Toronto Sun reached out to Target for comment but did not receive a response before publication. The story has drawn attention to corporate efforts toward inclusivity during religious observances.
