L I Y A N A' S . T H O U G H T S

_______________________________________Monday, March 21, 2005
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Woman-led Muslim service sparks protest in NYC

By Michael Flaherty

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A woman broke with Islamic tradition on Friday by leading a prayer service where men and women sat together, sparking protests and calls of blasphemy from fellow Muslims who believe only men should lead prayers.
The Muslim Women's Freedom Tour, a grass-roots organization, and the Web site MuslimWakeUp.com sponsored the service.
Islamic women typically sit separately from men in worship services and, in some cases, enter their mosque through a back or side door. Orthodox Jews also segregate men from women during religious services. Roman Catholics do not allow women to hold important leadership roles.
But on Friday, Amina Wadud, an associate professor of Islamic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, led roughly 50 men and women in a Muslim service, a role normally held by a man.
The event, which came amid heavy police security, was held at the Synod House, a small chapel next to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan's Upper West Side. Other locations refused to host the event due to threats.
"I don't want to change Muslim mosques. I want to encourage the hearts of Muslims to believe that they are equal," Wadud said at a crowded news conference before the service, adding she wished to help remove "artificial and inconvenient restrictions" aimed at Muslim women.
About 15 angry protesters gathered outside the chapel.
"That woman does not represent Islam at all. This is blasphemy, and the penalty for blasphemy is death and that is what this woman deserves," said a protester named Nussrah.
Asra Nomani, the lead organizer of the service created an uproar last year by entering her Morgantown, West Virginia mosque through the front door.
"Today, Muslim women are moving from the back of the mosque to the front of the mosque," said Nomani. "This is a historic event."

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After reading this article, I knew what the Professor did was wrong. She has picked the wrong battle to fight for sexual equality in Islam. Even though a Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, she shows that she doesn't fully understand Islamic equality. In death, a man gets the glory of Syahid ( death in the name of Islam and have a place in paradise without being judged on judgement day ) by dying in a battle for Islam. The burden of going to the war zone and the pain of defending his faith.. But for a woman, she gets that glory if she passes on during delivery. There is no need to be involved in any war, just being in the miracle of giving birth to another muslim.. That is the epitomy of equality. In this context, Islam is the fairest in sexual equality. The reason why a male leads a prayer is due to responsibility. Their responsibilities are to uphold the existance of the religion by leading his charge that is his mother, wife, sisters and brothers, immediate family and to the extend of friends.. Thus their burden is twice compared to a woman.
Fellow Sisters, remember, we are truly loved by Allah SWT. Just being who we are, always remembering Him, practisce the loving nature that He has instilled in us, and InsyaAllah we will be on the right path. What we need to do is simple to win a place in paradise and that is to protect our modesty and to be faithful to those we live for.
Hawa (Women) & Adam (Men)
She was not made from his head to top him, Nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him,
But out of his side, his ribs, to be equal with him, Under his arm to be protected &
Near his heart, to be Loved...

posted by AimiLiyana 11:05 pm

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Woman-led Muslim service sparks protest in NYC