It was, said the organisers, as historic and radical an act as Emmeline Pankhurst chaining herself to railings outside the Houses of Parliament. But for others a Muslim service led by a woman was sacrilege. Amina Wadud, an American academic, yesterday became the first woman to lead British Muslims in mixed congregational prayers and deliver the Friday sermon. Wadud, who converted to Islam more than 30 years ago, addressed a group of about 15 men and women at the Oxfordshire Masonic Centre. It marked the start of a two-day conference on Islam and feminism but, more significantly, broke 1,500 years of tradition regarding a woman’s place in the mosque. Wadud, who received death threats and worldwide condemnation following a similar service in New York three years ago, said: “There is nothing in the Qur’an or the hadith that forbids me from doing this. The prophet did it himself during his time, when he assigned a woman to lead a mixed prayer. “This is not a movement, it is just a reality. It is part of the living tradition of Islam, Islam has not died. It is important British women take up the mantle and fulfil the possibility of prayer leadership.” The Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford, which organised the event, anticipated demonstrations and these fears secured a police presence. Wadud, 56, a professor from Virginia Commonwealth University, stressed the importance of prayer. Seeing her flock were outnumbered by the media and sitting away from her, she told them: “I’m not going to bite you, I promise. It would make me feel better if you were closer to each other.” They duly shuffled together. Rawand Osman, 25, who travelled from Birmingham, said: “It’s good for the psychology of Muslim men to start seeing women in these positions.” Taj Hargey, chair of Meco, claimed conservative imams in Oxford threatened to disown Muslims attending the prayers. Riazat Butt and Niki Nixon reports.
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