‘Women-friendly’ mosques directory launches in England, Woman imam to lead mixed-gender prayer in Britain this Friday, and Ontario Sheik’s program designed to heal Muslim youth who show signs of extremist behavior.
Faith Matters, an interfaith organization, launched a “Women-friendly” mosques directory in England. One hundred mosques meeting at least four of the five criteria are listed in the Developing Diversity directory in no particular order, reports the Guardian. The five criteria are as follows: a prayer area for women, services and activities specifically for women, an imam or female scholar accessible to women, the inclusion of women in decision-making processes and female representation on mosque committees.
Canadian author and self-described imam, Raheel Raza, 60, has accepted an invitation from the head of the Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford, Dr Taj Hargey, to become the first Muslim-born woman to lead a mixed-gender British congregation in this Friday’s prayers and khutbah deliverance, reports the New Zealand Herald. The event is expected to stir controversy — Raza received death threats after leading a mixed-gender prayer in Toronto five years ago.
Ontario sheikh, Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin, designed a twelve-step “detox” program for youth who show signs of extremist behavior, reports the Toronto Star. The program was devised after the arrests of eighteen men, including four youth, in an alleged terror plot, dubbed the Toronto 18, this time three years ago. The program involves promoting peace and tolerance and challenging extremist ideology. Since the launch of the program, two other Canadian organizations have followed suit and created similar programs.
Shazia Riaz is Events and Publicity Editor for Altmuslimah.
