Denmark is opening its first female-led mosque

[ghulam muhammed]

Women-led mosque opens in Denmark

Scandinavia’s first female-led mosque will also be open to men except for Friday prayers, but all imams will be female

Scandinavia’s first female-led mosque has opened in Copenhagen in a bid to challenge “patriarchal structures” and create debate and dialogue, its founder has said.

Sherin Khankan, born in Denmark to a Syrian father and a Finnish mother, said that while all activities at the Mariam mosque except Friday prayers would be open to both men and women, all imams would be female.

“We have normalised patriarchal structures in our religious institutions. Not just in Islam, but also within Judaism and Christianity and other religions. And we would like to challenge that,” she said.

Reactions from the city’s Muslim community have mostly been positive, with negative feedback “moderate”, she said.

Khankan, a well-known commentator and author in Denmark, said there was “an Islamic tradition allowing women to be imams” and that most of the criticism was based on ignorance.

Similar projects by Muslim women exist in several other countries, including the US, Canada and Germany.

Imam Waseem Hussein, the chairman of one of Copenhagen’s biggest mosques, questioned whether there was a need for the project. “Should we also make a mosque only for men? Then there would certainly be an outcry among the Danish population,” he told the daily Politiken.

A Danish newspaper report wrongly claimed that the location of the mosque was to be kept secret due to security concerns.

“We haven’t received any threats whatsoever,” Khankan said, adding that she wanted to collaborate “with everyone” within the Muslim community, and that the project was not about judging or excluding anybody.

The first Friday prayer has yet to be held as another eight female imams, in addition to the two currently involved, have to be found. “It’s a big responsibility and we all work as volunteers,” she said.

The longstanding political influence of the anti-immigration Danish People’s party (DPP), as well as the row over prophet Muhammad cartoons that led to deadly protests in Muslim countries, have strained relations between Denmark’s largest religious minority and the majority population.

Denmark’s largest purpose-built mosque, including the country’s first minaret, opened in 2014 in a district of north-western Copenhagen after receiving a 150m kroner (£16m) endowment from Qatar.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/f ... in-denmark

[qutub_mamajiwala]

When Allah Has Allowed Women To Pray in Mosques, Who’re Men to Stop Us?

Last week the 1000-year old Jama Masjid at Kerala’s Thazhathangady made news for opening its gates to women for the first time in its history. The authorities clarified that though the gates have been opened for women, it is “not for any celebrations or for offering prayers. It was only to allow women to see the place”.
The Jama Masjid management made it clear that women were not allowed inside the mosque to offer prayers.
Now that is a pity that slaves of Allah should take upon themselves the right to snatch away the rights given by Allah. It’s a pity that men should restrict women from praying in Masjid when Allah has not forbidden them.
“Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from going to the mosque of Allah” (Sahih Muslim Vol.1 Chapter 177 Hadith No.886)
And husbands were specifically told by the Prophet (PBUH) “If the wife of any one of you asks permission (to go to the mosque) do not forbid her.” (Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book of Salaah, Chapter 80, Hadith No. 83)
Clearly, women are allowed but not compelled to pray in mosques.
There are many mosques that discourage women from entering. Others that allow seldom have a designated praying area for women and there is no culture of women praying in congregation in most Indian mosques.
Truth be told, the restriction on women going into mosques is an innovation. It has its basis not in Islam but in the male dominance innate in our society. It is the same psyche that forbids women from praying in mosques which manifests itself in various spheres of life, like increasing dowry demand, female infanticide, depriving women of property rights, force in marriage and discouragement of girl’s education. Like prohibition from mosques all the above mentioned practices have no basis in Islam.
In the view of the Holy Quran, men and women are spiritually equal.
The Holy Book has made the spiritual equality of men and women evident in many places.
“I shall not lose sight of the labor of any of you who labors in My way, be it man or woman; each of you is equal to the other” (3:195)
“Verily for all men and women who have surrendered themselves unto God, and all believing men and believing women, and all truly devout men and truly devout women, and all men and women who are true to their word, and all men and women who are patient in adversity, and all men and women who humble themselves before God, and all men and women who give in charity, and all self-denying men and self-denying women, and all men and women who are mindful of their chastity, and all men and women who remember God unceasingly: for all of them has God readied forgiveness of sins and a mighty reward.” (33:35)
When women went to mosques in Prophet’s time and even today are not debarred from praying in Masjid al Haram (Grand Mosque) in Makkah and in Masjid Nabawi (Prophet’s Mosque) in Madinah, then how can they be barred from praying in a mosque in Kerala or elsewhere in India and Pakistan or anywhere else for that matter?
According to a hadith which is unanimously agreed upon by all Islamic scholars, the Prophet (PBUH) had once asked Umme Waraqa to lead a mix congregation prayer in her home.
Jurists Al-Mozin, Abu Thawr and Al Tabari believed that it is legitimate for a woman to even lead a prayer of mixed congregation. Eminent jurist Ibn Taymiyyah was of the opinion that women were allowed to lead mix congregation tarawih prayers.

And here we have men possessing not an ounce of the knowledge and insight of the jurists mentioned above and they have taken it upon themselves to bar women from even praying in a mosque, leave alone letting her lead a prayer.

Do Muslims men, especially the ones in decision making roles, even realize how much they have allowed themselves to fall from the standards set for them by the Prophet?
These men by stopping women from praying in mosques are openly defying the will of Allah and the sunnah of Prophet in favor of their man made cultural values and instinctive ego.
Unfortunately these very people portray themselves as the flag bearers of Islam. No wonder the Ummah finds itself in such a predicament today.

http://caravandaily.com/portal/when-all ... o-stop-us/

[ghulam muhammed]

Desai should now go to Parsi temple, then we’ll know if it’s a publicity stunt or not: AIMIM leader

Rights activist Trupti Desai on Thursday entered Mumbai’s Haji Ali Dargah to offer prayers amid tight security, saying her struggle was for gender equality. “At the Dargah, I prayed that women be allowed to enter the inner sanctum, as was the case till 2011,” Bhumata Ranragini Brigade chief Desai said, after coming out of the Dargah.

“Police cooperated with us this time. This is a fight for gender equality. We will try to visit the inner sanctum next time,” she said. Desai and other women activists were earlier denied entry to the Dargah last month.

Desai, however, warned the Dargah trustees of protest in 15 days if women are not allowed to pray where men do. “We saw where we are allowed till and where men go till inside Dargah, in 15 days trustees should allow women in else we will protest.”

Hours after Bhumata Brigade president Trupti Desai entered the Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai and offered prayers, AIMIM leader Haji Rafat Hussain said he was happy that Desai came to the Dargah, but she shouldn't have come with police.

Hussain further said, "Trupti Desai should now try and go to a Parsi temple, then we will know if she is fighting for justice or publicity."

https://in.news.yahoo.com/desai-now-par ... 00267.html

[JC]

As a matter of principle, ALL the Religions should evolve ............ change is the only constant thing!

[qutub_mamajiwala]

wrong news
trupti desai only entered haji ali as to where upto women are allowed.
not till the grave of the said saint.
she was fighting for full rights of women to enter upto where men are allowed.
she somewhat succeeded in shani shingnapur but not in haji ali.
and now she has left that drive.
why? it is anybodys guess. may be bro all knower sbm and gm will have the answer.

[qutub_mamajiwala]

Activist Trupti Desai says she will launch an aggressive campaign if trustees Haji Ali dargah in Mumbai don’t open the place for women.

http://www.rediff.com/news/special/the- ... 160517.htm

[JC]

How many of 124,000 Prophets were Woman??

Take all the major religions of the world today and see WHO are the Rulers?? Any Pope, Bishop, Rabbi, Pundits, Dasturjee, Monks .... whatever..!!