Book: US Muslim Women Americanizing masaajid
Posted on May 17th, 2006 by Tariq Nelson
There was an article last week, by Reuters that talks about Donna Gehrke-White’s book “The Face Behind the Veil” and the “Americanization” of masjids. The article describes some of the programs American Muslim women are now involved in to encourage more female participation.
“The other thing is that women are Americanizing the mosques, bringing in Brownie (scout) troops, self-help programs”
Filed under: Convert Issues
There are many masjids you can go to where the women are basically running the show and have the Imam by the you know what. I think women will always be involved, and when they are forced not to by backwards cultural practices, will rebel because of the children. If the kids are involved in the masjid the women are going to want some kind of say in what program the kids are involved in.
You show me a masjid with a strong women's program where the women are enthusiastic and involved and I'll show you a masjid with lots of activity.
You show me a masjid where there is not a women's program and the women are made to feel alienated, and I will show you a masjid with just a little bit of activity if any (pretty dead)
Tariq writes: “You show me a masjid with a strong women
Abu Sinan,
Actually ADAMS is the place I thought of first when I wrote that
I never liked ADAMS that much, I always preferred Dar al Hijrah in the DC area and they have a pretty good, but more conservative, womens program as well, but I like Imam Majid a lot. In New York you have many masjids with no women at all.
ADAMS is okay. It is a different group, ethnically, from Dar al Hijrah. ADAMS is mostly people from the Indian sub-continent and Africa. Dar al Hijrah is a lot more to the Arab and North African end.
It is hard for me to say properly, but I like the welcoming atmosphere at ADAMS, but I like the ethnic make up of Dar al Hijrah better. As an Arabic speaker married to an Arab, I am just more comfortable with that.
I also find that Dar al Hijrah tends to be a bit more strict, if that is the right way to say it. You know what I mean.
I wish people could get away from the idea that smiling, being nice and welcoming is somehow unIslamic. The Prophet laughed, joked and was very nice. The frowns, grimaces and the like dont make one devout and pious.
Tariq writes: “You show me a masjid where there is not a women’s program and the women are made to feel alienated, and I will show you a masjid with just a little bit of activity if any (pretty dead)”
You would be suprised at how large the Tabligh Jamaat activities are in the different Masaajid of New York City and there are virtually no correlating womens programs - In fact women are discouraged to attend the Masjid - I can speak first hand of that in the Masjid near my neighborhood.
Would they be an exception to the rule?
Abu Sinan wrote "I wish people could get away from the idea that smiling, being nice and welcoming is somehow unIslamic. The Prophet laughed, joked and was very nice. The frowns, grimaces and the like dont make one devout and pious"
So do I bro! Wonder where people get this idea?
Abu Abdir Rahman:
Yes, I would consider them to be an exception because Jamaat Tabligh is largely a cultural program from Pakistan, India and Bangledesh and they have cultural support system with their wives and children who have activities at home.
When this program is tried amongst Americans and/or in a mostly American masjid, it is a disaster in many cases because being converts, they don't have the support of Muslim family that the Pakistanis, Bengalis and Indians have.
This is a good example of establishing a cultural program that is for one society that does not fit in another. If taken to its logical conclusion, this program would ban women from all the masjids in America. A single woman becomes Muslim. How does she learn her Islam? Their program says that the Fathers and Husbands do the teaching, but she has neither of those and no access to the masjid.
This is not an attack on them or even their program as it has many excellent points and many of them are some of the best brothers you can meet, Masha Allah. But that approach does not work in this context.
So as a result of that program being geared toward those from Muslim countries with Muslim family and a lack of flexibility, you will not see very many Americans entering that program, and Allah knows best.
Salaam ‘Alaikum
There was a Chinese Muslima who headed a navy or something along those lines. Although, actually, I’d heard she was more of a privateer, or “pirate” if you will.
wa alaykum as-salaam
Umm Zaid
You know where I can read about that?