As StepFeed points out, “while mosques are typically regarded as places of tradition and conservatism, there is an increasing number of liberal and progressive mosques around the world.” With this in mind, StepFeed provides a compelling listicle of progressive mosques around the world:
1. Germany’s Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque
As Germany’s first self-proclaimed liberal mosque, the Berlin mosque welcomes members of the LGBTQI+ community, features female imams, and allows men and women to pray in a mixed congregations.
2. UK’s Inclusive Mosque Initiative
The initiative is dedicated to creating places of worship for marginalized communities and promoting inclusive Islamic principles. Per their website: “We aim to create a family-friendly place of worship that welcomes people regardless of their religious belief, their race, gender, impairments, sexuality or immigration status.”
3. Canada’s Unity Mosque
Hoping to establish a safe space, lawyer El-Farouk Khaki, religious studies scholar Laury Silvers, and Muslim gay-rights activist Troy Jackson founded the Toronto mosque in 2009.
4. Women’s Mosques of California
California is currently home to America’s two women’s mosques. Based in Los Angeles, the Women’s Mosque of America – the first in the country – “seeks to uplift the Muslim community by empowering women and girls through more direct access to Islamic scholarship and leadership opportunities.” Similarly, Qal’bu Maryam (Maryam’s Heart) Mosque in Berkeley, which is led by women, welcomes both men and women. It does not enforce segregation during prayer and allows women to lead prayer services.
5. The Mariam Mosque in Denmark
Launched in 2016, the mosque is considered the first female-led mosque in Scandinavia. According to one of its female imams, Sherin Khankan, “We represent a modernist, spiritual approach to Islam. We are seeking to create an alternative voice, without delegitimising others.”
