Channel 4's Dispatches - women and mosques
Muslims are once again in the TV limelight with Channel 4's Dispatches programme this evening entitled "Women Only Jihad". The aim of the show was to show MPAC challenging the conservative mosques around the UK to open up to women - currently over half of the 1600 mosques in Britain do not allow women access to worship.
The participation of women within the Muslim community - and the mosques that symbolise the physical location of that - is a huge issue for Muslims to deal with. It's good to see the profile of the problem being raised. I'm always deeply frustrated and angered by the exclusion of half of the community from the centre of muslim community life. Lack of space for prayer is usually the reason cited for women being excluded from the mosque, but this begs the question: what is the function of the mosque? That is one of the elements of the debate that needs to take place. The other is: what is the role and value of women as Muslims, as Muslim women within the Muslim community, and as Muslim women within the wider community.
The poverty of the debate about these two issues, and especially about their intersection, women in mosques, creates the farcical programme we saw this evening. I don't think either Channel 4 or MPAC have anything to be proud of. The topic that was chosen is one of great interest and depth, and it did not get the lightness of touch or unravelling of complexity that it deserves. The male establishment figures within the Muslim community definitely need to be hauled up, but this programme did nothing to explore what lies behind these traditionally patriarchal values, nor how they vary between different Muslim subcommunities.
MPAC is a vociferous and controversial Muslim organisation, and therefore very photogenic and media friendly. I find them hugely entertaining and Asgher Bukhari usually has some good soundbites. But I watched with my hands clasped across my eyes willing them to make the firm stand they are renowned for, without embarrassing themselves or Muslims at large. However, their aggressive confrontations at mosques (what do you think is going to happen if a group of women turn up and start shouting in front of a mosque? It ain't gonna be pretty). It was addictive viewing.
Alas, MPAC did not show the required sensitivity to the depth and complexity of the epic challenge of creating change within the Muslim community. They also failed to show the steady and solid changes that are being made in other mosques. We saw nothing of mosques where Muslim women are participating fully and actively and which truly serve as the centre of the community. It's true that these are rare, but statistically they probably represent the same proportion of the Muslim community as does MPAC with its views.
I was mostly disappointed with MPAC because of the short term goals of their strategy. It is very important to get women into mosques and create a space for them. But what for? What would the feisty young women have achieved by praying one prayer in the mosque? They would have left, and then the local women would have been no better and no worse off.
If Real Change is the goal, then local women must want the change themselves, and must be willing to work with the elders and leaders (and yes, sometimes it is an old boys' club). So change must come through working with women as well as committees.
I know of mosques where the men agree to open up the space, and then women don't come, and they say "see, where are they? The women themselves don't want to come." So the change needs to come from both women and men.
Perhaps I could recommend - and I say this with the best and sincerest intention - that MPAC get themselves down to some training on how to create long lasting change in organisations. This is the way to make a real impact and make a tangible difference to women's lives.
The participation of women within the Muslim community - and the mosques that symbolise the physical location of that - is a huge issue for Muslims to deal with. It's good to see the profile of the problem being raised. I'm always deeply frustrated and angered by the exclusion of half of the community from the centre of muslim community life. Lack of space for prayer is usually the reason cited for women being excluded from the mosque, but this begs the question: what is the function of the mosque? That is one of the elements of the debate that needs to take place. The other is: what is the role and value of women as Muslims, as Muslim women within the Muslim community, and as Muslim women within the wider community.
The poverty of the debate about these two issues, and especially about their intersection, women in mosques, creates the farcical programme we saw this evening. I don't think either Channel 4 or MPAC have anything to be proud of. The topic that was chosen is one of great interest and depth, and it did not get the lightness of touch or unravelling of complexity that it deserves. The male establishment figures within the Muslim community definitely need to be hauled up, but this programme did nothing to explore what lies behind these traditionally patriarchal values, nor how they vary between different Muslim subcommunities.
MPAC is a vociferous and controversial Muslim organisation, and therefore very photogenic and media friendly. I find them hugely entertaining and Asgher Bukhari usually has some good soundbites. But I watched with my hands clasped across my eyes willing them to make the firm stand they are renowned for, without embarrassing themselves or Muslims at large. However, their aggressive confrontations at mosques (what do you think is going to happen if a group of women turn up and start shouting in front of a mosque? It ain't gonna be pretty). It was addictive viewing.
Alas, MPAC did not show the required sensitivity to the depth and complexity of the epic challenge of creating change within the Muslim community. They also failed to show the steady and solid changes that are being made in other mosques. We saw nothing of mosques where Muslim women are participating fully and actively and which truly serve as the centre of the community. It's true that these are rare, but statistically they probably represent the same proportion of the Muslim community as does MPAC with its views.
I was mostly disappointed with MPAC because of the short term goals of their strategy. It is very important to get women into mosques and create a space for them. But what for? What would the feisty young women have achieved by praying one prayer in the mosque? They would have left, and then the local women would have been no better and no worse off.
If Real Change is the goal, then local women must want the change themselves, and must be willing to work with the elders and leaders (and yes, sometimes it is an old boys' club). So change must come through working with women as well as committees.
I know of mosques where the men agree to open up the space, and then women don't come, and they say "see, where are they? The women themselves don't want to come." So the change needs to come from both women and men.
Perhaps I could recommend - and I say this with the best and sincerest intention - that MPAC get themselves down to some training on how to create long lasting change in organisations. This is the way to make a real impact and make a tangible difference to women's lives.
posted by Shelina Zahra Janmohamed at 22:18
7 Comments:
As an FYI, the programme referred to the Muslim Directory which lists mosques and tells us how many women they accomodate for. I've just leafed through it, and there are quite a few, though nowhere near enough. According to the Directory, the East London Mosque has 1000 places available for women. Compared to 5000 for men. That proportion needs to go up.....
I had fully intended to watch this programme, as I wanted to find out more about what to me as a bog-standard Western liberal seems a total affront to the very notion of religion - the exclusion of women from the place of prayer.
We Xtians have long wrestled with the Pauline legacy of keeping women at bay in church matters - witness the debate about to have or to have not women priests - but it's quite alien to most, if not all, Xtian traditions simply to exclude women from where we worship.
There are places - Mount Athos is one - where women are excluded entirely, but that is for monastic reasons and signifies no more than men being kept out of convents of nuns.
I am so glad that you watched the programme and are able to offer reasoned comment about the need to move beyond the televisual confrontation into real and lasting change.
That I didn't get to see the programme was entirely due to a cause not holy, but one beginning to grip the male nation - an irresistable desire to watch the wondrous Hermione Norris kick ass in 'Spooks'!
Peter
spooks was on at 9pm, I watched that too!
ah well. it takes me a while to recover;)
p.
salaam and a late Eid Mubarak! this is the first time i have seen your blog! i have just watched your interview on Newsnight and was very impressed! i think you handled the questions thrown at you in a very good way and gave a beautiful example of a real and strong muslim woman!
i also watched the masjid show last night and completely agree with what you are saying. i was so disappointed at the way it was carried out. as far as i see it, it was a brilliant opportunity to raise awareness but was lost to a poor way of going about it. as women we do have every right to pray in a mosque, however, the programme didnt show the lead up to the confrontations, ie letter writing, petitions, conversations.... straight to the arguments! it also failed to differentiate between culture and islam thoroughly enough.
cheeky question, as a new muslim i am studying islam as much as possible and i am carrying out my dissertation on women and the mosque. i would love to get your opinions on a few things if that would be ok with you? your blog has pretty much summed up one of my chapters!lol. please contact me to discuss if that is ok. :-)
wsalaam
women get more hasonot REWARDS for praying at home.
this so called video was stupid! going around to the mashjid with a kaffir woman, to make yourself look like pushy young women, is stupid.
they should know that men HAVE TO PRAY AT THE MASJID, AND WOMEN PRAY AT HOME. what women rush five times to the masjid to pray????? only men do that. there are times when a women cant make it home and has to pray at the masjid or where ever she stands. but to do all of that and make yourself look out of line.
they could have talked to each other better than that, nothing was was worked out.
unless.
p.s: on the last day you will be with those whom you looked like, talked like, agreed with, etc.
dont try to be "cool" it aint cute!
yeah right approvel, this is a christian blog right.
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