“The Conversation” website has published an article by Sariya Cheruvallil, in which she says that the first two mosques in Britain were established in 1889 in Liverpool and Woking, and<\/p>\n
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“The Conversation” website has published an article by Sariya Cheruvallil, in which she says that the first two mosques in Britain were established in 1889 in Liverpool and Woking, and women played an important role in the community that helped to establish these mosques.<\/p>\n
Cheruvallil, however, mentions in her essay: “This reader would not necessarily know it. Indeed, women\u2019s contributions throughout history are consistently forgotten \u2013 often lost so the past becomes \u201chis story\u201d. I hope my new research will play a part in changing this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI used archive material linked to the two earliest British mosques to examine the everyday lives of women in these historical communities. This research presents a coherent and compelling narrative of women\u2019s lives and roles as contributors and leaders of their communities,\u201d the author adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWomen in these communities were usually middle-class converts, who encountered Islam through travel, mosque publications or public lectures. They lived in an environment that viewed Islam and Muslims with suspicion and ridicule. British Muslims were perceived as \u201cloyal enemies\u201d and \u201cinfidels within\u201d the society of that time,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n
According to the researcher, \u201cAt both the Liverpool and Woking mosques, women were included in Eid celebrations, debates and other events. The women at the Liverpool mosque also ran a home for the city\u2019s \u201cdestitute\u201d children, which was established in January 1897.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cheruvallil concludes her article by saying, \u201cBy shining a light on the history of Muslim women in Britain, contemporary issues seem less insurmountable. These women shaped the Muslim communities of their time and it is imperative that their stories are known.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“The Conversation” website has published an article by Sariya Cheruvallil, in which she says that the first two mosques in Britain were established in 1889 in Liverpool and Woking, and “The Conversation” website has published an article by Sariya Cheruvallil, in which she says that the first two mosques in Britain were established in 1889 …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":20584,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[831,100,227],"class_list":["post-8803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-british","tag-islam","tag-women"],"yoast_head":"\n