Women make history and lead prayers at Denmark’s first female-run mosque

Muslim women don’t usually go to mosques, which are traditionally male-only. This is slowly changing – and in some cases, women voices are being heard very clearly. When the call to prayer rang out on Friday at Mariam Mosque in Copenhagen, history was being made for the voice was that of a woman.

Women also led the service at Denmark’s first female-run mosque, one of only a handful outside China.

The Guardian reported that more than 60 women attended the service at the mosque which was led by two imams: Sherin Khankan and Saliha Marie Fetteh.

Female imams have been present in China since the 19th century, they appeared in South Africa in 1995 and the Women’s Mosque of America opened in Los Angeles last year.

Fetteh delivered the khutbah, or sermon, on the theme of “women and Islam in a modern world”.

She drew laughter from worshippers when she joked that there was not a burkini to be found in shops across Europe, because they had all been bought by women showing solidarity with Muslims who had been victims of the ban in parts of France.

The mosque, which opened in February, has held five weddings including several interfaith marriages. However, this was the first time it had held Friday prayers.

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