Both the major discussions on the mosque at ISNA addressed this issue of the masjid being a space of chastisement or discomfort as opposed to a welcoming space for spiritual growth. Whether it is women who are reprimanded for entering the main hall to pray or youth who are admonished for their dress, rather than opening its arms to the diversity of the community, many mosques often continue to marginalize women and youth, leaving the community to create new spaces of gathering and worship or to perhaps abandon their faith and spiritual practice.
Read MoreGender in Islam
(De-)Centering Islam and the Question of Authenticity /
Director of Research, Ailya Vajid, will be giving a talk entitled The Multiple Meanings of Mourning: How Shi’i-American Women Negotiate Tradition and Culture Through Commemoration and Activism. This paper focuses on how American Shi’i women negotiate tradition and authenticity with their own American cultural values, and how they draw upon the courage and strength of powerful female Shi’i symbols in their socio-political endeavors and in their activism for social justice and religious freedom. Read more.