Girls allowed!

Imam Shafiq Ur-Rehman with girl students at the Jamiat Ahl-E Hadith mosque in Coppice

Women-friendly mosque awarded five-star rating

AN Oldham mosque has been named one of the top 50 in the country — for being woman-friendly.

The Jamiat Ahl-E-Hadith, in Coppice, is the only mosque in the borough to have made it on to the select shortlist.

The Faith Matters inter-faith forum compiled the directory highlighting mosques that provide the best access for women and cater for their needs. Focus groups held across Britain drew up five key areas that Muslim women wanted to see. They were:

::The inclusion of women in decision-making at operational and strategic levels

::Women holding office on mosque committees

::Services and activities for women, such as childcare and women’s mentoring sessions

::An Imam accessible to women, or a woman scholar

::Separate prayer space for women

A total of 468 mosques throughout England were contacted and only 50 were awarded five stars with another 50 receiving four stars.

The Jamiat Ahl-E-Hadith mosque is the only five-star mosque in Oldham having met all five of the key criteria.

The mosque, in Ross Street, accommodates 150 female worshippers and holds an annual conference for women.

There are two women on the executive committee, and women are actively involved in decision making at various levels.

In addition, the mosque provides advice and counselling on domestic-violence issues, and holds cooking and health classes.

There is also an Imam who speaks English and Urdu, as well as female tutors.

Imam Shafiq Ur-Rehman, who has been based at the mosque for 15 years, said: “It is nice to get national recognition for what we do.

“Some people do not give women permission to come to the mosque but we give full opportunity for it.

“We have many women’s group here, from children and families, to older ladies, and they can learn about the teachings of the Koran, as well as discuss social issues and learn about being healthy.

“We held our annual women’s conference on Sunday which saw 300 women attend. This is a well-used facility in the community and it is free of charge.”

Mohammed Hafeez, mosque secretary, said: “We are hoping to create separate wing for ladies at the mosque so women will be able to have their own committee, chairman and treasurer and play an equal part.”