RALEIGH, N.C. — Salman Sheikh was organizing a swim class for his two sons last summer when fellow Muslim parents approached him about starting a class for girls. Sheikh told them he would ask the Curran Aquatic Center in Cary, N.C., whether it could accommodate a group of Muslims who preferred a women-only pool. Yes, of course, the leaders of the aquatic center said, and showed him a 15-yard pool that could be rented for $170 an hour. Problem was, the small pool overlooked a larger, Olympic-size pool, and Sheikh wondered whether the center could provide blinds to cover the windows and shield the women from onlookers.Sure, the center’s leaders said, but it would cost $3,000 for custom-made blinds.
