Woman leads Muslim prayer service

New York is in the United States, right?

NEW YORK (AP) -- A female professor led an Islamic prayer service Friday with men in the congregation despite sharp criticism from Muslim religious leaders in the Middle East who complained that it violated centuries of tradition.

Amina Wadud, a professor of Islamic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, led the service at Synod House at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, an Episcopal church in Manhattan.

Some Islamic scholars have said they were aware of a few other mixed-gender prayer meetings led by women, mostly in the West, but they are rare.

"The issue of gender equality is a very important one in Islam, and Muslims have unfortunately used highly restrictive interpretations of history to move backward," Wadud said before the service. "With this prayer service we are moving forward. This single act is symbolic of the possibilities within Islam."

About 80 to 100 people attended the service, and the group appeared evenly divided between men and women. Most women wore the traditional Muslim headscarf and long, flowing robes.

The event was meant to draw attention to the inequality for women in Muslim spiritual life and Muslim life in general, said Asra Q. Nomani, an author and former Wall Street Journal reporter who is the lead organizer of the prayer.

"We are standing up for our rights as women in Islam. We will no longer accept the back door or the shadows," Nomani said. "At the end of the day, we'll be leaders in the Muslim world."

There was a brief outburst from some protesters outside the building at the start of the service, but they were kept from entering by a heavy police presence. One young U.S.-born, bearded activist, who only gave his name as Nussrah, said Wadud was not representative of Muslims.

"She is tarnishing the whole Islamic faith," he said.

Hey Nussrah: This is America and your fucking Sharia law doesn't mean shit to us. If you want 7th century laws in your own country, we don't give fuck, but don't even try and enforce that shit over here! We are sure there are many strong American women here that would have no problem kicking your limp-dick ass.

Yvonne Haddad, a professor of Islamic studies at Georgetown University, said the service goes against the religion's traditions.

"It's a time when people can get away with anything," Haddad said. "When people have a breakdown of traditional leadership, largely because the U.S. government has delegitimized the Muslim leadership in America, American Muslims are searching for new leaders more able to address their daily needs.

"People in America think they are going to be the vanguards of change," Haddad said. "But for Arab Muslims in the Middle East, American Muslims continue to be viewed on the margins of the faith."

And why should Americans give a rat's hairy ass about Islam's religious traditions? It's not like Islam respects any other religion's traditions. And don't forget, The Constitution, not Sharia, is the law of OUR land. If you don't like it, get the fuck out! We don't want your sorry ass here anyway.

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