The Women's Mosque of America

Adthan by Susan Butler (9/28/18)

Returning mu'adhinah Susan Butler calls the adthan for the 45th jumma'a at The Women's Mosque of America on September 28, 2018.

"On Being Single: Holding Compassion for Ourselves & Others" Khutbah by Zariah Horton (9/28/18)

Khateebah Zariah Horton delivers the 45th khutbah for The Women's Mosque of America on September 28, 2018. In an incredibly courageous and vulnerable khutbah, Zariah emphasizes the importance of showing compassion and mercy to oneself as well as to others, with a special focus on the challenges of being a single Muslimah.

Bio:
Zariah Horton was raised on the importance of being of service to others, community activism, and social justice. She has been volunteering in the community since infancy, literally. She was born in an election year and her mother had her in a stroller encouraging people to vote. This foundation has led to over 20 years in public health and non-profit work.

Zariah started her career case managing persons living with HIV/AIDS and then expanding to providing sexual health prevention, education, counselling and testing. She has presented her work nationally on providing sexual health services in non-traditional settings. While managing one of the largest sexual health clinics in Los Angeles, she observed the intersection between sexual and mental health firsthand and returned to school to become a psychotherapist to better assist her clients and community.

Since completing graduate school, Zariah has become a psychotherapist and a life coach. She has concentrated her work in destigmatizing mental health, sexual health, and domestic violence in faith communities and communities of color. For several years, she managed group homes providing therapy and case management to adolescent girls on probation and in foster care. This led her to further her education and receive specialized training in counseling trauma survivors and commercial sexually exploited children.

Zariah taught courses at the graduate level regarding sexual health and psychology, human development, couples counseling, and family therapy. She has conducted workshops on the cycle of violence, identity development, sexual dysfunction, sexual addiction, substance abuse, and trauma and sexuality. She has written grants, received funding, and lead workshops on prevention and education of domestic violence in the Muslim community. She was on the board of Muslim Women’s League and currently is on the board of the Hajjah Project. She co-facilitated a process group at her local mosque regarding the Me Too Movement. She currently is a Mental Health First Aid instructor.

Recently Zariah has turned her energies towards expanding her knowledge and providing support to individuals and families experiencing fertility challenges. Lastly, she is a servant of God and tries to live everyday being compassionate and merciful to others as well as herself.

Q&A with Zariah Horton (9/28/18)

Q&A Discussion Circle w/the Imam -- In this fun discussion with the imam, Zariah Horton shares from her life experiences and answers questions from the congregation regarding being unmarried. The congregation also offers their own insights and solutions to the various challenges of being a single Muslimah.

Adthan by Jessika Kenney (8/24/18)

Returning mu'adhinah Jessika Kenney calls the adthan for the 44th jumma'a at The Women's Mosque of America on August 24, 2018.

"Moving Away from the Multitude to the One" Khutbah by Kifah Shah (8/24/18)

Khateebah Kifah Shah delivers the 44th khutbah for The Women's Mosque of America on August 24th, 2018. Kifah addresses the "multitudes" of our busy everyday lives, and how our ultimate goal should be striving for Allah, the One.

Kifah Shah is the Digital Campaign Manager for MPower Change, the largest Muslim-led social and racial justice organization in the United States. She is also a cofounder of SuKi Se, an ethical fashion brand produced by artisans in Pakistan that strives to offer access to technologies that ensure high production standards and inclusive supply chains.

Kifah grew up in Southern California and has been organizing since she was 15. She has worked for the Asian Law Caucus, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Unite HERE! Local 11, and UC Berkeley’s Multicultural Community Center. Kifah also worked abroad in Europe at the Migration Policy Group on issues related in migration, as well as in Pakistan at the Aman Foundation/USAID on issues of health, education, and economic empowerment. She is currently a TED Resident and on the Board of Trustees for MSA West. Kifah holds a Masters in Public Administration (Economic Policy) from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies from U.C. Berkeley.

"Moving Away from the Multitude to the One" Khutbah by Kifah Shah (8/24/18)

Q&A with Kifah Shah (8/24/18)

Q&A Discussion Circle w/the Imam -- Khateebah Kifah Shah answers questions from the congregation regarding her khutbah, including how to make boundaries for oneself amidst one's "multitudes".

Adthan by Mahin Ibrahim (7/27/18)

Returning mu'adhinah Mahin Ibrahim calls the adthan for the 43rd jumma'a at The Women's Mosque of America on July 27, 2018.

"Exploring Wudu, Water, and the Concept of 'Purity' in Islam" Khutbah by Jessika Kenney (7/27/18)

Khateebah Jessika Kenney delivers the 43rd khutbah for The Women's Mosque of America on July 27, 2018. In this beautiful khutbah, Jessika looks at the symbolism of water in Islam and the deeper meanings of "ritual purity", performing Javanese and Persian poetry related to the topic.

Bio:
Jessika Kenney is a vocalist, composer/improviser, and teacher. Jessika's singing can be heard on Ideologic Organ, Black Truffle, Weyrd Son, SIGE, Present Sounds, and other labels. She performs regularly with writers/scholars Red Pine (Bill Porter), Fatemeh Keshavarz, and Anne Carson. At international festivals, Jessika has performed her own compositions as well as music of Annea Lockwood, Hossein Omoumi, Morton Feldman, Giacinto Scelsi, and others. In 2015, her LP "ATRIA" (based on writings attributed to Sunan Kalijaga, who brought Islam to Java in the 15th century CE) was released alongside a sound, calligraphic score, sculpture, and video installation filling five rooms at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle.

Jessika taught from 2007-2015 at her alma mater, Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. She has studied sindhenan with many great musicians of Javanese gamelan in and outside Indonesia, particularly the late, great pesindhen Nyi Supadmi (d. 2015). She has studied Persian radifs with Ostad Hossein Omoumi (UC Irvine) since 2004. Kenney received the 2014 James Ray Distinguished Artist Award, and for collaborations with her husband Eyvind Kang, the 2015 Stranger Genius Award. She is VoiceArts faculty at California Institute of the Arts and lives in Pasadena, CA.

In 1997, Jessika had her first masjid experience in the Kauman neighborhood of Surakarta, Central Java, and she has been involved in Islamic and Sufi culture ever since.

Q&A with Jessika Kenney (7/27/18)

Q&A Discussion Circle w/the Imam -- Khateebah Jessika Kenney answers questions from the congregation and shares more of her beautiful poetry recitation.

Adthan by Mahasin Shamsiddeen (6/29/18)

Returning mu'adhinah Mahasin Shamsiddeen calls the adthan for the 42nd jumma'a at The Women's Mosque of America on June 29, 2018.