Women’s Bill of Rights in the Mosque

Asra Nomani has come up with an Islamic bill of rights for women in the mosque.

Women have an Islamic right to:

  • enter a mosque.
  • enter through the main door.
  • visual and auditory access to the main sanctuary, or musalla.
  • pray in the main sanctuary without being separated by a barrier.
  • address any and all members of the congregation.
  • hold leadership positions, including participation on the board of directors.
  • be full participants in all congregational activities.
  • lead and participate in meetings, study sessions, and other community activities without being separated by a barrier.
  • be greeted and addressed cordially.
  • respectful treatment and exemption from gossip and slander.

This statement should be spread in every mosque in the United States as well as far and wide around the world.

By Zack

Dad, gadget guy, bookworm, political animal, global nomad, cyclist, hiker, tennis player, photographer

12 comments

  2. Bright idea ! But not new. Many before came out with such ideas. Even Quoresh of Makkah had somewhat similar ideas and wanted to prevail upon the Prophet (pbuh).
    Demanding exemption from gossip and slander, perhaps, dance hall was in Asra Nomani’s mind.

  4. Thanks. You rock (even though I disagree with 97.6 +/- 2 % of the things you say :p). Your little girl is adorable. Insha’Allah she will grow up to have a brain, just like her papaji.

  5. CA: It will be progress when it is adopted by a lot of mosques which have regressed in the last decade in terms of gender equality.

    Dad: ?

    Nida: You are welcome and thanks for the compliments.

    You can disagree all you want, I know I am right ;-). Civil disagreement is a good thing, but some of those guys on usenet need to get a grip.

  7. Maybe Asra will also demand that her book Tantrika be required reading for all of us.After all,a woman who writes about Tantric sex with such eloquence is bound to be an expert on Islam.

    What locus Standi does she have?She is a trouble maker out to garner cheap publicity.

    The suggestion that men and women pray without a barrier is simply preposterous.What ever happened to the Islamic rules of etiquette as taught to us by our beloved prophet(pbuh)?One’s personal whims and desires cannot replace the rules of Shariah.

    What next?Men and women praying side by side?Or men praying behind a woman as some want?Where is this going to end?

  9. Zack old buddy,

    I have read the Quran and the hadiths and that is exactly the reason I wrote what I did.So if you have anything meaningful to say go ahead.

    People who claim to represent the community have to set an example to the rest of us.Otherwise it is hypocrisy plain and simple

  10. ajs: If you want to discuss Asra Nomani, please take it somewhere else. If you want to discuss the specifics of the rights of women in a mosque, then you have come to the right place.

    There are lots of Hadith which show that there was no barrier between men and women in the mosque. Women asked questions to Prophet Muhammad there as well. The entrance to the mosque was common.

  11. Zack, the reason I discussed Asra was because you mentioned her.No mention,no discussion;as simple as that.

    I once again reiterate that anyone who aspires to leadership automatically sets himself/herself to be judged by the highest standards.As such it is only fair that your readers know who Asra Nomani is,what her background is and more importantly what her views are to make an impartial judgement as to what her locus standi is.It is not my intention to indulge in polemic or calumny;I have simply stated well known facts.If this is not acceptable to you,then I shall refrain from doing so as a mark of deference to your position as the creator of this blog.But my opinion about the lady remains the same.

    On the subject of men and women praying together without a barrier,it is obvious that we have our differences,so let us leave it at that.

    suhail

  12. Stand and Deliver

    JEDDAH, 15 November 2004 — Police in Bahrain arrested a woman on Friday for disguising herself as a man and trying to deliver the Friday sermon at one of the largest mosques in the island state, Asharq Al-Awsat reported yesterday. “The 40-year-old woma…

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