Shillong mosque opens up for women in India

Saturday, September 13, 2008, (Shillong): Defying usual convention, a mosque in Shillong has opened itself to women praying alongside men.

In the Idgah Masjid, women offer Friday prayers in a mosque for the first time anywhere in the North East India.

“In the tenet of Islam, it’s nowhere written that women cannot go to mosque, when we go to Haj, we used to pray together. The mother and sisters are the ones who can teach the new generation about Islam,” said Syedul, general secretary, Shillong Muslim Union.

Its one of the few mosques in the country to defy convention. Women already celebrating this change.

“This is my third Friday prayer today and it’s a wonderful feeling. I was looking forward to this day when I could enter the mosque and pray,” said Zulekha Hazarika.

“This is my third Friday prayer today and it’s a wonderful feeling. I was looking forward to this day when I could enter the mosque and offer my prayers,” he said.

The change couldn’t have come at a better time, the holy month of Ramzan.

“This is the first Ramzan that’s why were are very happy. Maybe we will face lot of criticism but nowhere in Quran or the Hadith it says that women can’t pray. This is first time in the Northeast and we are very happy that Meghalaya is taking the lead,” said S M Haque, president, Mahila Majlis.

And for matrilineal Meghalaya, this is another step towards gender equality.

“This is a beautiful and wonderful gift. It’s a dream come true for all of us. Society is changing and it’s a historic moment,” said Rubiya.

Society is changing at a rapid speed and it’s a historical moment.

Source:  Sanjay Chakravarty of NDTv

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