Agence France Presse, 12/18/03
NEW DELHI - A group of Muslim women in an Indian village, fed up with what they say are sexist decisions made by the male authorities particularly in divorce cases, have decided to build their own mosque, a report said Thursday.
The women in the village of Parambu in the southern state of Tamil Nadu have formed a group called Chaaya (Shadow) and acquired land to build the mosque, the Hindustan Times daily said.
“This decision was taken after we found male-dominated jamaats (dispute settlement forums) handing down discriminatory verdicts in family disputes, especially in divorce matters,” said Sherifa, the convenor of Chaaya, who uses just one name.
“When a man seeks divorce, only his case is heard by the jamaat. The wife is never called for a hearing, saying that women are not permitted inside mosques, where the jamaat usually sits,” she said.
A woman priest well-versed in the Koran and Islamic tenets is to take
charge at the new mosque…
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