News
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Muslim women challenge mosque gender separation in United States
WASHINGTON: A group of Muslim women risked arrest on Sunday as they sought to pray in the main area of the Islamic Centre of Washington – an area ordinarily reserved exclusively for men.
“Wooden barriers have to be taken down and women have to be allowed to join, to pray behind the men in the main praying area. That’s our request,” said Fatima Thompson, an American Muslim who converted to the faith 18 years ago. “We are against gender segregation, against the fact that women are put aside or in a totally different room at the mosque,” added Thompson.
The Sunday protest was the second time women have sought to share the main prayer area at the mosque in Washington DC, after a group of 20 women first tried in February.
Their hair covered with headscarves, the group of six women entered the mosque’s prayer area via the main door usually reserved for men and walked through to the room where around 20 men had already arrived.
The imam presiding over the prayer interrupted proceedings to announce by microphone: “We are going to wait, because some people came to disturb the prayer, until the police come and take care of this issue.”
Within minutes, three police officers arrived and told the women to leave or face arrest. afp
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk