The Women's Mosque of America

Adthan by Shourouq Routher (1/29/21)

Mu'adthinah Shourouq Routher calls in from the Bay Area to deliver a stirring, melodic adthan for The Women's Mosque of America's 6th Anniversary jumma'a on January 29th, 2021.

Q&A with Dr. Omaima Abou Bakr (12/18/20)

Q&A Discussion Circle with the Imam -- Dr. Omaima Abou Bakr answers an important question that had been weighing on a congregant's mind for years regarding Qur'an verse 2:282. A lively discussion ensues between congregants and past khateebahs on the many different ways we can interpret the call for two women witnesses. Dr. Omaima also shares insights on what gender justice work is happening now in Egypt, as well as the upcoming khutbah anthology she originally wrote her khutbah for -- but never realized she would have an opportunity to deliver in a mosque -- until now.

"The Ethics of Gender Justice" Khutbah by Dr. Omaima Abou Bakr (12/18/20)

For The Women's Mosque of America's first international jumma'a, Khateebah Dr. Omaima Abou Bakr called in all the way from Egypt to illuminate "The Ethics of Gender Justice" in relation to an often overlooked verse of the Qur'an.

 

Bio: Omaima Abou-Bakr is a Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Cairo University; a founding member of “The Women and Memory Forum” in Egypt; a researcher/member of the “Musawah” Knowledge Building Team. She specialized in medieval Sufi poetry and comparative topics in medieval English and Arabic literature. Her scholarly interests also include women’s mysticism and female spirituality in Christianity and Islam, feminist theology, Muslim women’s history, and gender issues in Islamic discourses. She has published numerous articles in both English and Arabic on poetry and medieval literary texts, on historical representations of women in pre-modern Muslim societies, women and gender in religious discourses, and Islamic feminist issues. One book publication is an edited Reader that contains translations into Arabic of foundational articles in Christian feminist theology and Islamic feminist research: Al-Niswiyyah Wa-Al-Dirasat Al-Diniyah: Feminism and Religious Studies (2012). Other book publications are two edited volumes of collected articles; in English: Feminist and Islamic Perspectives: New Horizons of Knowledge and Reform, in Arabic: Al-Niswiyyah Wa-Al-Manzur Al-Islami (2013).

Adthan by Ameenah (age 7) & Ruqayya (age 2) Yousufi (12/18/20)

Our youngest Mu'adthinahs, Ameenah (age 7) & Ruqayya (age 2), recite a heart-warming adthan with their mother, returning Mu'adthinah Aliya Hussaini Yousufi, for The Women's Mosque of America's 3rd ONLINE jumma'a on December 18th, 2020.

Adthan by Mahasin Shamsiddeen (11/27/20)

Even a recent move out of state didn't stop returning Mu'adhinah Mahasin Shamsiddeen from participating in The Women's Mosque of America's second online jumma'a on November 27th, 2020. 

"What Just Happened?'" Khutbah by Gail Kennard (11/27/20)

Returning Khateebah Gail Kennard explores the prophetic example of how to successfully heal a divided and polarized society, with special focus on navigating through the aftermath of the 2020 American presidential election.

Bio:
Gail Kennard was raised in Los Angeles and learned about Islam as a high school student when she read the autobiography of Malcolm X. She accepted Islam while in graduate school at UC Berkeley, and she has been active in the Muslim communities of San Francisco, San Diego, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.

For the past 20 years, Gail has been president of the architectural business founded by her late father, Robert Kennard, in Los Angeles. The firm designs public buildings, transit and utility infrastructure projects. The company, Kennard Design Group, is the oldest African-American-owned architectural practice in the western United States.
Gail earned her undergraduate degree in Communications from Stanford University, a master’s degree in Journalism from UC Berkeley — and for the past 60+ years, she has been struggling to earn her post-graduate degree in this life under the guidance of Allah, subhanna wa ta’allah.

Q&A with Gail Kennard (11/27/20)

Q&A Discussion ONLINE with the Imam -- Khateebah Gail Kennard has an intimate discussion with congregants from all across America and even in Pakistan! Gail shares from her own family experiences about how difficult it can be to convince close family and friends on the other side of the political divide to hear you. She addresses questions such as, "How do you deal with people who react to you in a hostile way?" and "Whose responsibility is it to educate people about issues like racism?" Congregants also share their own experiences, strategies, and resources for dealing with the challenges of our divided society.

"Coping with Isolation and the Pandemic" with Dr. Hadia Zarzour, Sondos Kholaki & Zariah Horton (9/25/20)

In response to the most oft-requested topic since the pandemic began, on September 25th, 2020, The Women's Mosque of America hosted a wonderful discussion on "Coping with Isolation and the Pandemic" with Muslim mental health experts Dr. Hadia Zarzour, Chaplain Sondos Kholaki, and Zariah Horton on how we can deal with the current global challenges and come out stronger than before inshAllah (God-willing). Together, the panel addressed common misconceptions and taboos surrounding mental health vs. spiritual health, the importance of finding purpose, special tools for children and for Black women during this time, and many helpful, practical tips and resources to make this time a reset rather than a setback.

"Patience While in the 'Cave'" Khutbah by Dr. Showkot Rahman (10/30/20)

For The Women's Mosque of America's first ONLINE jumma'a on October 30th, 2020, Khateebah Dr. Showkot Rahman delivers an emotionally moving khutbah on having "Patience While in the 'Cave,'" drawing upon her experiences as a physician whose family was directly impacted by the pandemic in the most trying of ways.

Bio:
Dr. Showkot Ara Rahman, mother of four, daughter, sister, friend, and pediatrician, was born and raised in the city of Magura in Bangladesh with her six siblings. She grew up in a household devoted to family, the community, and Islam. Spending early mornings reading and reciting Surahs of the Qur’an, she completed her first full reading of the Qur’an by the age of six. Islam has been a mainstay in her life, a curiosity she has spent her life cultivating through constant and conscious application.

After graduating from Rajshahi Medical College in Bangladesh, she gave birth to two boys, immigrated to the United States, parting ways from her childhood friends and family, had two daughters, and attained the U.S. Medical License and Board Certification in Pediatrics, accomplishing her dreams through patience and perseverance. Dr. Rahman has been a dedicated medical and public servant to underserved communities since her beginnings at The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, followed by Kaiser Permanente with simultaneous volunteer work at Umma Community Clinic and raising four children.

Her relentless values of faith, hard work, and optimism were not only unhindered, but spread through any means possible. She is a devoted pediatrician, a role she does not take lightly and recognizes as her way of expounding her genuine care and dedication to the wellbeing of children and their future in the most underserved area of Los Angeles.

When she is not doting on her children or filling out patient charts, Dr. Rahman enjoys spending time with her children, cooking, knitting, visiting museums, attending musicals, watching Jeopardy, traveling, catching the sunrise and sunset, and dancing on grassy hills.

 

Q&A with Dr. Showkot Rahman (10/30/20)

Q&A Discussion ONLINE with the Imam -- Dr. Showkot Rahman takes questions from virtual congregants on Zoom during The Women's Mosque of America's first ONLINE jumma'a experience on October 30th, 2020. They talk about how living with disabilities can often feel like living in a cave and how so many of the prophets entered a period of isolation or "cave" as a time to draw closer to Allah and more focused on the *real* reality outside of this temporary life. They also discuss dealing with emotions like anger and how important it is for women to speak up and be assertive.