Huff Post: As a Muslim woman born and raised in this country, some of my earliest and fondest memories were of me accompanying my mother, grandmother and sister (that’s three generations!) to the Mosque. It was the highlight of our week, topped off with a McFlurry or bucket of KFC.
The statement “no women allowed” is something which is hurled at many Muslim women across the UK and world. And by guess whom? Men. Of course, not all men and Mosques impose this restriction, but far too many do!
Despite tremendous advancements in women’s rights over the past century, many religious spaces in the UK and across the world still remain women free-explicitly banning women from entering them. While this form of gender apartheid is not limited to Islamic places of worship, as a British Muslim woman I hope that my personal experiences of British Mosques can help to highlight both the problem and the opportunities for positive change.
The reality of ‘women-free’ Mosques first came to my attention when I was in my early twenties. To their frustration, disheartened Muslim friends shared their experiences of being told that they could not enter their local Mosques. This experience, they told me, caused them to feel as though they were being discriminated against and alienated, particularly for converts to Islam. This was made all the more difficult to deal with because it did not seem to fit with the teachings of Islam that they were familiar with.
How could it be that many mosques do not cater for the needs of women, I asked myself? Even more fundamental than this, what meaningful role could women play in Muslim communities that prohibit them from their Mosques? This was particularly frustrating because these women were often well educated, confident and positive individuals. They had and have much to contribute!
You are probably wondering why it is that this grim reality came as such a shock to me. Given the negative portrayal of Muslim women in the media, which would have us all characterised as faceless and #traditionallysubmissive people, you probably think that all Mosques ban and disenfranchise women. This could not be further from the truth!
Categories: Accepting Islam, ISLAM, The Muslim Times, Women In islam, Women Rights
I agree, banning Muslim women from mosques is only an act based on culture rather than the Islamic teachings. Islam provides women with many rights and recognizes the significant role played by women in society. According to Islamic teachings, women should be active in visiting the mosque and obtaining knowledge about Islam so they can educate themselves and their children.