First Mosque Led by Women Opens in Denmark

For the first time last Friday, a mosque in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, opened its doors to believers with both the muezzin and imam being women. The Friday prayer at 'Maryam Mosque' was held with the presence of over 60 women and led by Ms. Saleha Maria Fateh. According to The Guardian, Ms. Shirin Khankan, another imam of this mosque, assisted Ms. Fateh in conducting this first women-led prayer in Copenhagen. This is the first mosque of its kind in the Scandinavian region. Previously, mosques for women had been opened in China, but the history of women's mosques in China dates back hundreds of years. Recently, mosques 'specifically for women' have also opened in other countries, such as Afghanistan. However, a mosque specifically for women and led by women in congregational prayers is considered extremely rare. The Guardian reports that over 60 women attended Maryam Mosque, and Ms. Khankan expressed hope that their activities would challenge the prevailing 'patriarchal' system in the performance of the duties and beliefs of Islam, Judaism, and Catholicism. At Maryam Mosque, polygamy is prohibited, women have the right to divorce, marriages can be annulled in cases of physical or emotional violence, and if a woman and man separate, the woman has the same rights regarding children as the man. Shirin Khankan only covers her hair during prayer and states that this is her understanding of being a devout Muslim. She told The Guardian, 'We have a moderate, mystical, and progressive approach to Islam. We are trying to be a different voice to be heard, without intending to delegitimize others. We want Maryam Mosque to become a place where anyone can come.' According to this congregational prayer imam, what happens at Maryam Mosque goes beyond its walls and will enter the community.