Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Attendant Current
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure
First Class passenger approached me while I was sitting on my jump seat right after 10;000 feet; changing into my in-flight shoes and passenger asked if he could be there for two minutes.As I looked down to finish putting on my shoes he dropped a prayer mat and started praying on the floor facing the sunrise with half of his body in my galley and half in the aisle.I wish I had immediately stopped putting my shoes on so I would have seen the mat in his arm.Passengers were mostly sleeping in first class and didn't notice him on the floor. As it turned out he was a pilot for [another airline]. Maybe this was a cultural thing but this brought fear to me and then the other flight attendants on my flight. He did not cause any other interruption and returned to his first class seat.I would suggest if a passenger is carrying a mat and wants to pray that they go to an empty row or to the rest room for privacy to pray. During this touchy time in society he could be in danger because of fear from passengers and flight attendants also could take this wrong and go in to full alert. Keep passengers away from galley in first class because of its proximity to cockpit.
Air carrier Flight Attendant reported concern when a passenger knelt on a mat in the aisle to pray during climb.