What the Country's First All-Female Mosque Means For Muslim-American Women

In a word: community.

Women Gathering at the Women's Mosque of America
(Image credit: Alexa Pilato)

On January 30th, more than 150 Muslim women gathered in downtown Los Angeles to pray together—for the first time—at the Women's Mosque of America. "It was always a childhood dream of mine to build a Mosque before I died, but I had no idea it would be a women's Mosque," says founder and co-president M. Hasna Maznavi, 29.

The Women's Mosque of America is the first all-female place of worship for Muslim women in the United States. Traditionally, Islamic places of worship are segregated between men and women with male Imams leading prayers and giving sermons. The women are given another space, away from the men.

"Segregation between genders isn't a bad thing necessarily because it's a very intimate physical space. You're standing very close to the person next to you," explains Maznavi. She says the real problem is the treatment of women's spaces in American Mosques, which are often cramped and completely cut off from the main area, making it hard to interact with the rest of the congregation and religious leaders.

According to a 2011 study by the Islamic Society of North America, 63% of mosques scored fair or poor on a scale for women-friendly mosques.

Women at Podium

(Image credit: Alexa Pilato)

Hind Makki, a well-known Muslim-American activist and founder of Side Entrance, a blog devoted to documenting Muslim women's prayer spaces around the world, says that the formation of the Women's Mosque of America is a response to the exclusion of women from a lot of Mosques across the country. "In the U.S, the Mosque is now the place where the community gets together to learn about the faith, and you can't have that kind of space without women and girls," she explains, adding that the fact that Muslim women are taking matters into their own hands shows that Islam itself is not against female empowerment, but it's how some people interpret it. Wrongly, she points out.

In fact, women were at the center of Islam when it was founded—only to be erased by thousands of years of revisionist history. Maznavi discovered that fact a few years ago, after delving into a dedicated study of Islam. She soon realized that current cultural practices regarding Muslim women are very different from the early days of the religion, and that there were once thousands—yes, thousands—of female Muslim scholars after Islam was founded.

Women Congregating

(Image credit: Alexa Pilato)

"But even though these women existed, Islamic law was mostly written down by men, so the female voice and perspective were largely left out," she explains.

And this is where Maznavi hopes to change things. "The Women's Mosque of America's vision is for a worldwide Islamic renaissance, shaped by female scholarship and leadership," she says.

Tanzila Ahmed, a Muslim-American activist and writer in Los Angeles, says she attended the Women's Mosque of America's first prayer because she was intrigued by the concept. "For so long, as Muslim women, we've been told how we should practice Islam, and as Americans, our stories have been pushed to the margins," says Ahmed. "I think this space means that I will be able to finally find a community where I can finally find a spiritual practice where I feel accepted."

Woman Praying

(Image credit: Alexa Pilato)

You should also check out:

Muslim Fashionistas Put a Stylish Spin on the Hijab

My Big Fat Muslim Wedding

What Does a Muslim Woman in America Look Like?

Jennifer Chowdhury

Jennifer Chowdhury is an independent journalist based in New York City and Bangladesh. She covers the South Asian and Muslim diaspora with a specific focus on gender rights. She is passionate about covering stories on women of color around the world whose voices are stifled by patriarchal attitudes, systematic racism and socioeconomic burdens. 

Latest in Culture
A man (Graham Hornigold) sits in a professional kitchen as a woman in a hat, sunglasses, and fur coat stands behind him, holding a champagne glass with her other hand on his shoulder. Concept art from the Netflix documentary 'Con Mum.'
Where Is Graham Hornigold Now? What We Know About the 'Con Mum' Subject
Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller in Adolescence.
Who Is Owen Cooper, the First-Time Actor Who Plays Jamie in 'Adolescence'?
(L to R) Dan Perrault as Colin Trask, Spencer Garrett as Wally Glick, Ken Marino as Harry Hollinger, Uzo Aduba as Cordelia Cupp, Andrew Friedman as Irv Samuelson, Susan Kelechi Watson as Jasmine Haney in episode 101 of The Residence
Where Was 'The Residence' Filmed? What to Know About the Location Transformed Into The White House
Sydney Cole Alexander as natalie smiling and posing in a lumon office in severance
'Severance' Is a Vintage Furniture Collector’s Fever Dream
a group of people led by uzo aduba as detective cordelia cupp peek through a doorway in a still from the tv show the residence
Meet the Cast of Netflix's 'The Residence'
ellen pompeo as kristine barnett hugging her adoptive daughter natalia grace, played by imogen faith reid, while mark duplass as michael barnett looks on
Is 'Good American Family' Based on a True Story? What to Know About Natalia Grace and the Barnett Family
Latest in News
Meghan Markle in a beige shirt on stage at SXSW in March 2024
Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow Open Up About Their "Rift" Over Pie
Rihanna and A$AP were seen on a casual date night out at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica. rihanna wore jeans, a vest, and a new alaia bag
Rihanna Hard-Launches Alaïa's New $2,350 It-Bag With a Baseball Cap and Jeans
Bella Hadid carries the Coach empire bag in New York City with a black mini dress
Bella Hadid Secures Coach's Must-Have Empire Bag, Just Like I Predicted She Would
Selena Gomez wears a cropped blazer and matching trousers while attending the Drew Barrymore show in New York City
Selena Gomez Is the Cropped Blazer Trend's Final Boss
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Rihanna in a head scarf and multiple necklaces
Rihanna’s Jamaica Manicure Will Unite the Caribbean