Sherin Khankan is a well-known commentator and author in Denmark and recently opened Scandinavia’s first female-led mosque in Copenhagen, saying she hopes to create “debate and dialogue.” Ms. Khankan says there is “an Islamic tradition allowing women to be imams” and wants to broaden Islam’s appeal to her fellow countrywomen. “The new grand mosques are unbelievably beautiful, but I have the feeling of being a stranger when I am there.”
Similar projects by Muslim women have started in several other countries, including the US, Canada and Germany. Shelina Zahra Janmohamed, author of “Love in a Headscarf,” says the time is right for gender-equal mosques. “Women have reached the end of their tether in terms of wanting their voices heard, wanting mosques to accommodate their needs and finding, in many cases, the reaction has not been very responsive. The idea is to trigger a response in mosques by showing that there may be fresh perspectives.”
