The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Iza Hussin

Georgetown University
The Politics of Women's Worship: Space, Activism and Interfaith Horizons in American Islam

The main question of this project is: what are the factors which determine the nature and quality of women's participation in Muslim worship space? My goal is to delineate paths through which women may be found in Muslim spaces, to mark along the way the work which has already been done, the pitfalls which lie ahead, and the diversity of directions available. That I focus towards the end on the Islamic Society of Boston's Cultural Center, to be built in Roxbury in 2002, does not make that place, admirable as I believe it to be, the destination of this work. Indeed, my research into the realities of Muslim life in America showed me how important it might be to map out my successes as well as my difficulties.

There are three sections to this work: Section I establishes the architectural and Islamic norms for mosque design, and the conduct of communities within them. Section II looks specifically at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center as a space which is in the process of being formed to accommodate a diverse community of men and women. Section III addresses the historical, political and social context in which the ISBCC will function when it is built, and the likely effects of that context on the treatment of gender.

I have found that the question of women in mosques in the United States is inseparable from the history and diversity of Muslims, the politics of civic and interfaith relationships, and the development of Muslim self-perception and identity formation in this country. The issues which Muslim communities confront with regard to the participation of women are intrinsic to their path within American civic life, and their struggles are emblematic of the many challenges which face Muslims today.