Female Imam in Paris Pushes for Gender-Inclusive Prayer at Mosque

At the Fatima Mosque, Imam Kahina Bahloul advocates for mixed prayer, with men and women praying together, reports AFP. For the leader of this place of worship, it is an extraordinary moment that initiates a liberal current for Islam in France. "The members of our community feel that their way of life, their religion, is not in line with today’s mosques, which seem to have come out of the 7th century; it is no longer possible to continue living like this," she says.

Imam Bahloul leads the weekly Friday prayer, on February 21, for nearly an hour. The call, the ritual invocations, a sermon dedicated to the theme of "universal love", and finally the prayer, punctuated by prostrations, are the highlights of this Muslim gathering. The imam’s approach is appreciated by all. "I follow her on social networks, and I find the idea great, I am totally in line with progressive Islam. I practice at home, this Islam that is invisible to the rest of society," says Aicha Rabah, 60 years old.

"At the mosque, we are usually separated, and they don’t really like that, so I was looking forward to it," says Ahmed Sfaxi, this father of two daughters, his face lit up with happiness. Hanifa, a young student, also expresses her delight. "I’ve been waiting for this moment for a year and I have a feeling of restoration, something that repairs this injustice of having to pray separately," she says.

"What touched me a lot was to see that many people in the room closed their eyes and listened. What interested them was not to see a woman minister of worship, but to take what I gave them and feed spiritually, regardless of my gender," Kahina Bahloul rejoices.