Pho

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it L

e P

aris

ien

Je

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The imam is a woman

A project for an integrated mosque presented and supported by the

Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique

ldquoThe traditional texts are not against the imamate of women It is competence that matters not gender However the sociology of mosques remains very conservativerdquo

Tareq Oubrou the ldquoBordeaux Imamrdquo LrsquoObs

ldquoI really enjoyed the way this prayer opened Traditionally in a mosque you have to go looking for the womenrsquos area you sense all these people looking at you and judging This holds me back I donrsquot frequently go to the mosque Here for the first time I felt I was in the right placerdquo

Afida 45 years-old worshipper

bdquo Am Samstag war ich in Paris um Eva Janadin und Anne-Sophie Monsinay bei ihrem tollen Moschee-Projekt beizustehen Tolle mutige Frauen ldquo

ldquoI was in Paris last Saturday with Eva Janadin and Anne-Sophie Monsinay to support their fantastic mosque project They are amazing exceptional womenrdquo

Seyran Ateş imam of the Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque in Berlin

ldquoThis event symbolises the return to the original Islam Islam makes no distinction between men and womenrdquo

Mustapha 35 years-old worshipper

ldquoOur imams are studying the text to see if there is a solid foundation for the desire expressed by women to be able to lead the prayerrdquo

Dalil Boubakeur Rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris Acting President of the French Council of

the Muslim Faith (CFCM)

ldquoThere is a patriarchal misogynistic reading of the texts which has persisted through the centuries It was always the men who appropriated the legitimacy of being able to read and interpret texts and say what the religious norm should berdquo

Kahina Bahloul Imam in France

ldquoThe US has had female imams since 2005 when Amina Wadud led the first prayers in New York In Denmark imam Sherin Khankan created the Mariam mosque Canada London and Berlin also have women leading non-segregated prayersrdquo

Alison Hird journalist for Radio France Internationale

ldquoItrsquos complicated because no city council wants to help themrdquoDidier Leschi President of the European Institute

of Religious Science (EPHE) LrsquoObs

ldquoI am particularly proud to have been able to attend this first mixed-gender Muslim prayer in France led by two women with nearly ninety worshippers attending Alas Not everyone was able to enter for lack of room Next timerdquo

Dominique Reynieacute Executive Director of the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique

2

The imam is a woman

7 September 2019The imam is a woman

It was with emotion and pride that the team of the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique attended the first mixed-gender Muslim prayer in Paris France Nearly ninety people were in attendance Women and men alike in near-parity prayed together Wearing the hijab was not mandatory half the women present did not wear one The sermons were delivered in French and all statements in Arabic were translated to French in order to ensure mutual comprehension

Around ninety worshippers women and men alike prayed togetherThis occasion of Muslim prayer was led by Anne-Sophie Monsinay and Eva Janadin coauthors of the paper An Integrated Mosque for a Spiritual and Progressive Islam published by the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique in February 2019

Guests included Seyran Ateş imam of the Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque in Berlin Ludovic Mohamed-Zahed Imam in Marseille and founder of the Calem Institute Ani Zonneveld Imam and President of the international organisation Muslims for Progressive Values and Dominique Reynieacute Executive Director of the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique Many members of the Voix drsquoun islam eacuteclaireacute [Voice of an Enlightened Islam] (VIE) movement which now has nearly 200 members were present The VIE organisation is actively looking to find permanent premises It will become the first place of Muslim worship where prayer will be led by women or men The idea is to be able to hold one Friday prayer a month showing a progressive Islam rejecting stigmatizing speech and behaviour

The spring of ldquointegrated mosquesraquoldquoMixed-gender mosquesrdquo are beginning to flourish everywhere in Germany Denmark Canada and the United States to name but a few In France Islamologist Kahina Bahloul also hopes to open the doors of her mosque Fatima in a few months

3

The imam is a woman

fond

apol

| lrsquoi

nnov

atio

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litiq

ue

February 2019Publication of the study An Integrated Mosque for a Spiritual and Progressive IslamThe emergence of a spiritual and progressive Islam promoted by the authors of this text is desired by many French Muslims A demand for freedom within Islam is born It proceeds from a spiritual journey driven by the desire to reconnect with modernity

They demand innovation and freedom in their faith paving the way for a spiritual journey informed by modernity This aspiration is extended in the idea of a project creating a place of worship the Sicircmorgh mosque which would endorse certain founding principles 1) women are imams and lead all services including those for men The ritual prayer is not segregated Any Muslim male or female may lead the prayer if he or she so desires As such there is no lead imam 2) Each woman including the imam may choose whether or not to wear a veil 3) All stigmatising speech is prohibited especially stigma based on sexual orientation gender ethnicity or religion 4) All the sermons are in French encouraging true ownership of Islam by French Muslims allowing them a deep understanding of the discourse and giving them the opportunity to engage critically with the religious messages This is also why Muslims of all denominations are welcome

At the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique the publication of this paper in February 2019 was part of the work we pursue regarding the role of religion in current-day societies But for us it was also to support a project whose importance seems considerable to us

This integrated mosque is led by the Voice of Enlightened Islam (VIE) movement Founded in September 2018 this movement supports a conception of Islam midway between loyalty to its multiple heritages and its openness to the future Complete information can be found on the website voix-islam-eclairefr

4

The imam is a woman

7 September 2019The imam is a woman

It was with emotion and pride that the team of the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique attended the first mixed-gender Muslim prayer in Paris France Nearly ninety people were in attendance Women and men alike in near-parity prayed together Wearing the hijab was not mandatory half the women present did not wear one The sermons were delivered in French and all statements in Arabic were translated to French in order to ensure mutual comprehension

Around ninety worshippers women and men alike prayed togetherThis occasion of Muslim prayer was led by Anne-Sophie Monsinay and Eva Janadin coauthors of the paper An Integrated Mosque for a Spiritual and Progressive Islam published by the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique in February 2019

Guests included Seyran Ateş imam of the Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque in Berlin Ludovic Mohamed-Zahed Imam in Marseille and founder of the Calem Institute Ani Zonneveld Imam and President of the international organisation Muslims for Progressive Values and Dominique Reynieacute Executive Director of the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique Many members of the Voix drsquoun islam eacuteclaireacute [Voice of an Enlightened Islam] (VIE) movement which now has nearly 200 members were present The VIE organisation is actively looking to find permanent premises It will become the first place of Muslim worship where prayer will be led by women or men The idea is to be able to hold one Friday prayer a month showing a progressive Islam rejecting stigmatizing speech and behaviour

The spring of ldquointegrated mosquesraquoldquoMixed-gender mosquesrdquo are beginning to flourish everywhere in Germany Denmark Canada and the United States to name but a few In France Islamologist Kahina Bahloul also hopes to open the doors of her mosque Fatima in a few months

3

The imam is a woman

fond

apol

| lrsquoi

nnov

atio

n po

litiq

ue

February 2019Publication of the study An Integrated Mosque for a Spiritual and Progressive IslamThe emergence of a spiritual and progressive Islam promoted by the authors of this text is desired by many French Muslims A demand for freedom within Islam is born It proceeds from a spiritual journey driven by the desire to reconnect with modernity

They demand innovation and freedom in their faith paving the way for a spiritual journey informed by modernity This aspiration is extended in the idea of a project creating a place of worship the Sicircmorgh mosque which would endorse certain founding principles 1) women are imams and lead all services including those for men The ritual prayer is not segregated Any Muslim male or female may lead the prayer if he or she so desires As such there is no lead imam 2) Each woman including the imam may choose whether or not to wear a veil 3) All stigmatising speech is prohibited especially stigma based on sexual orientation gender ethnicity or religion 4) All the sermons are in French encouraging true ownership of Islam by French Muslims allowing them a deep understanding of the discourse and giving them the opportunity to engage critically with the religious messages This is also why Muslims of all denominations are welcome

At the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique the publication of this paper in February 2019 was part of the work we pursue regarding the role of religion in current-day societies But for us it was also to support a project whose importance seems considerable to us

This integrated mosque is led by the Voice of Enlightened Islam (VIE) movement Founded in September 2018 this movement supports a conception of Islam midway between loyalty to its multiple heritages and its openness to the future Complete information can be found on the website voix-islam-eclairefr

4

The imam is a woman

February 2019Publication of the study An Integrated Mosque for a Spiritual and Progressive IslamThe emergence of a spiritual and progressive Islam promoted by the authors of this text is desired by many French Muslims A demand for freedom within Islam is born It proceeds from a spiritual journey driven by the desire to reconnect with modernity

They demand innovation and freedom in their faith paving the way for a spiritual journey informed by modernity This aspiration is extended in the idea of a project creating a place of worship the Sicircmorgh mosque which would endorse certain founding principles 1) women are imams and lead all services including those for men The ritual prayer is not segregated Any Muslim male or female may lead the prayer if he or she so desires As such there is no lead imam 2) Each woman including the imam may choose whether or not to wear a veil 3) All stigmatising speech is prohibited especially stigma based on sexual orientation gender ethnicity or religion 4) All the sermons are in French encouraging true ownership of Islam by French Muslims allowing them a deep understanding of the discourse and giving them the opportunity to engage critically with the religious messages This is also why Muslims of all denominations are welcome

At the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique the publication of this paper in February 2019 was part of the work we pursue regarding the role of religion in current-day societies But for us it was also to support a project whose importance seems considerable to us

This integrated mosque is led by the Voice of Enlightened Islam (VIE) movement Founded in September 2018 this movement supports a conception of Islam midway between loyalty to its multiple heritages and its openness to the future Complete information can be found on the website voix-islam-eclairefr

4

The imam is a woman

In this video the authors present the study An Integrated Mosque for a Spiritual and Progressive Islam Favourable to ldquoan Islam engaged in the present dayrdquo they observe that ldquomany Muslim women and Muslims feel a growing need for emancipation and liberationrdquo They want to offer them ldquoplaces for dialogue free from any community and family pressurerdquo The video has sparked a great deal of constructive discussions especially on social media as well as criticism

For the studyrsquos publication the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique organised a press conference at its premises attended by around twenty journalists and experts on religious issues The authors reviewed the four main principles on which their approach to progressive Islam is based equality between women and men freedom to wear the veil or not refusal of any stigmatising speech in particular based on sexual orientation gender origin or religion and lastly the sermons in French and consistent availability of translation of any Arabic phrases to assure collective understanding

Video presentation

Press conferenceVideo available on

We would like to acknowledge the publication entitled Islam des Lumiegraveres Illuminisme spirituel du troisiegraveme milleacutenaire [Enlightened Islam Spiritual Illuminism of the Third Millennium] This book initially published in Italian in 2017 and edited by Alessandra Luciano compiles contributions from renowned scholars and philosophers including Abdessamad Belhaj Luigi Berzano and Abdennour Bidar who look back at the concept of Enlightened Islam between spirituality reason and reformism Eva Janadin and Anne-Sophie Monsinay coauthor a chapter taken from their paper An Integrated Mosque for Spiritual and Progressive Islam written for the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique

Islam des Lumiegraveres Illuminisme spirituel du troisiegraveme milleacutenaire [Enlightened Islam Spiritual Illuminism of the Third Millennium] edited by Alessandra Luciano Mimeacutesis publishing Social Sciences Collection 8 October 2019 128 pages 12 euros

5

The imam is a woman

fond

apol

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n po

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ue

July 2019 Translation of the study into English and ArabicIn order to further the debate the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique published an English and Arabic version of this study These versions are available online at fondapolorgen

ldquoThis ambitious project has also been beneficial in that it has sparked a great deal of debate within the Muslim communities in France We know that many Muslims have spoken about it in mosques in different conferences proving precisely that this needed to be done in order to shatter taboos that inhibit us from going forwardrdquo

Eva Janadin coauthor of the paper

On this occasion of the publication of these new editions Dominique Reynieacute spoke with Eva Janadin and Anne-Sophie Monsinay on 10 July 2019 to look back on the progress made since the paperrsquos publication in February 2019 and to discuss what remains to be done to achieve the ultimate goal of having Muslim prayer led by women for the first time in France The prayer was held on 7 September 2019 in Paris

ldquoThis is not one of those projects that remains in the sky of ideas It became a realityrdquo

Dominique Reynieacute Executive Director of the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique

Video available on

6

The imam is a woman

The event in the pressNational

International

Saphir News (26022019) Le Courrier de lrsquoAtlas (07032019) Sud Radio (13032019) Vice (19032019) Oumma (02042019) Judaiumlque FM (08042019) RCF Radio (09042019) RFI (03052019) Le Monde (06052019) Le Monde des religions (mai 2019) AFP (07092019) Ouest-France (07092019) Nice-Matin (07092019) LrsquoEst Eacuteclair (07092019) La Provence (07092019) CNews (07092019) Sputnik France (07092019) LrsquoObs (07092019) Le Parisien (08092019) LrsquoExpress (08092019) La Croix (08092019) Le Figaro (08092019) France Inter (08092019) LrsquoUnion (08092019) 20minutes (08092019) BFM TV (08092019) RMC Info (08092019) RTL (08092019) Oumma (08092019) Francetvinfo (08092019) Europe 1 (09092019) Le Figaro Vox (09092019) France 3 (09092019) Le Monde (09092019) Le Figaro (09092019) La Voix du Nord (09092019) Atlantico (09092019) AuFeacuteminincom (09092019) Marie Claire (09092019) SaphirNews (09092019) Terrafemina (10092019) Le Courrier de lrsquoAtlas (10092019) Le Courrier du soir (10092019) Le Monde des religions (10092019) Journal des femmes (11092019) Oh my mag (11092019) AgoraVox (14092019) France Culture (15092019)

El Paiacutes (05052019) Euronews (08092019) Luzerner Zeitung (08092019) RFI Espantildeol (08092019) MeacutetroDakar (08092019) Il Messaggero (08092019) Seacuteneacutegal Plus (08092019) Yabiladi (08092019) Badische Zeitung (08092019) Morocco World News (09092019) Alternative Guineacutee (09092019) AfrikMag (09092019) Haber3 (09092019) Tout sur lrsquoAlgeacuterie (09092019) Marokkonieuws (09092019) Nupel (09092019) Odatv (09092019) Yeni Akit Gazetesi (10092019) El Watan (10092019) Opinion Internationale (10092019) Al Bidda (10092019) The Times of Israel (10092019) Todos Noticias (11092019) DW Indonesia (11092019) Euro Times (13092019) Morocco World News (13092019) RTS (14092019) Euro-Islam Info (16092019) The Straits Times (18092019) VOA Afrique (18092019)

7

The imam is a woman

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The event on social mediaFebruary - September 2019

8

The imam is a woman

The day after the event 8 September 2019 the hashtag imame was the third most tweeted in France

9

The imam is a woman

fond

apol

| lrsquoi

nnov

atio

n po

litiq

ue

10

The Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique and the Religious PhenomenonFreely accessible on fondapolorg

Series Legacies of Christianity

The day after the event 8 September 2019 the hashtag imame was the third most tweeted in France

9

The imam is a woman

fond

apol

| lrsquoi

nnov

atio

n po

litiq

ue

10

The Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique and the Religious PhenomenonFreely accessible on fondapolorg

Series Legacies of Christianity

10

The Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique and the Religious PhenomenonFreely accessible on fondapolorg

Series Legacies of Christianity

11

fond

apol

| lrsquoi

nnov

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litiq

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Series Values of Islam in French and Arabic

سعد الخياري جوان 2015

قيم الإسلام

وقيم الجمهوريةالإسلام

6

فيليب موليني

أوت 2015

قيم الإسلام

والميثاق الاجتماعي الإسلام

5

باريزا الخياري

جوان 2015

قيم الإسلام

روحانية ومواطنةالتصوف

4

أحمد بويردان

أفريل 2015

قيم الإسلام

الإسلام في الإنسانية والإنسية

3

طارق أوبرو

أفريل 2015

قيم الإسلام

مفاتيح للقراءةالقرآن

2

أو الوعي بالغيريةفي الإسلام

التعددية الدينية

إيريك جوفروا جانفي 2015

1قيم الإسلام

الشيعة والسنة

سلام مستحيل

ماتيو تيرييه جانفي 2016

11قيم الإسلام

محمد بدي ابنو

ديسمبر 2015

قيم الإسلام

الإسلام والديمقراطيةفي مواجهة الحداثة

10

أحمد الريسوني

نوفمبر 2015

قيم الإسلام

الإسلام والديمقراطية الأسس

9

أسماء المرابط

أكتوبر 2015

قيم الإسلام

النســـاء والإســـلامرؤيـــة إصلاحيــة

8

مصطفى الشريف

أكتوبر 2015

قيم الإسلام

التــــــربية في الإســـــلام

7

12

fond

apol

| lrsquoi

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Please return toFondation pour

lrsquoinnovation politique11 rue de Grenelle

75007 Paris

Contact

Anne FlambertAdministrative

and FinancialDirector

+33 (0)147536709

anneflambertfondapolorg

In order to remain independent and work eectively in the public interest the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique a civil society institution needs the support of businesses and individuals Every year donors are invited to attend the General Convention at which the organisationrsquos priorities are set out The Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique moreover regularly provides donors with opportunities to meet its sta and advisers discuss its work before anyone else and attend its events

The Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique is a state-recognised organisation pursuant to the decree of 14 April 2004 and as such is entitled to receive donations and legacies from individuals and businesses

I would like to support the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique I would like to contribute

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Recipient of the receipt required for tax purposes

Address

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By cheque made out to the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique

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To the account of the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique at the Caisse des Deacutepocirctset Consignations IBAN FR77 4003 1000 0100 0029 9345 Z16 BIC CDCGFRPPXXX

Public debate needs the Foundationand the Foundation needs you

Don

atio

n fo

rm

Please return toFondation pour

lrsquoinnovation politique11 rue de Grenelle

75007 Paris

Contact

Anne FlambertAdministrative

and FinancialDirector

+33 (0)147536709

anneflambertfondapolorg

In order to remain independent and work eectively in the public interest the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique a civil society institution needs the support of businesses and individuals Every year donors are invited to attend the General Convention at which the organisationrsquos priorities are set out The Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique moreover regularly provides donors with opportunities to meet its sta and advisers discuss its work before anyone else and attend its events

The Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique is a state-recognised organisation pursuant to the decree of 14 April 2004 and as such is entitled to receive donations and legacies from individuals and businesses

I would like to support the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique I would like to contribute

100 euro 500 euro 1 000 euro 5 000 euro

10 000 euro 50 000 euro Other amount euro

I a m making this donation

In my own name

On behalf of the company

Recipient of the receipt required for tax purposes

Address

Postcode City

By cheque made out to the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique

By bank transfer dated

To the account of the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique at the Caisse des Deacutepocirctset Consignations IBAN FR77 4003 1000 0100 0029 9345 Z16 BIC CDCGFRPPXXX

Public debate needs the Foundationand the Foundation needs you

Don

atio

n fo

rm

Please fill in your contact details below in order to create your tax receipt

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Ndeg Street

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Examples of support for the Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique and calculations of real contributions after tax deductions (IS IR ISF)

Examples of annual contributions

real contributionafter 60 deduction from corporate taxes

real contributionafter 66 deduction from income taxes

real contributionafter 75 deduction from wealth taxes

100 euro

500 euro

1 000 euro

5 000 euro

10 000 euro

50 000 euro

40

200

400

2 000

4 000

20 000

34

170

340

1 700

3 400

17 000

25

125

250

1 250

2 500

12 500Don

atio

n fo

rm

Please return toFondation pour

lrsquoinnovation politique11 rue de Grenelle

75007 Paris

Contact

Anne FlambertAdministrative

and FinancialDirector

+33 (0)147536709

anneflambertfondapolorg

French think tank supporting European integration and the free market

The Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique provides an independent forum for expertise reflection and exchange aimed at producing and disseminating ideas and proposals It contributes to pluralism of thought and the renewal of public discussion from a free-market forward-thinking and European perspective Four main priorities guide the Foundationrsquos work economic growth the environment values and digital technology

The website fondapolorg provides public access to all the Foundationrsquos work Anyone can access and use all the data gathered for the various surveys via the lsquodatafondapolorgrsquo platform and data relating to international surveys are available in several languages

Furthermore reflecting the Foundationrsquos editorial policy our blog lsquoAnthropotechniersquo aims to explore new avenues prompted by human enhancement reproductive cloning humanmachine hybridization genetic engineering and germline manipulation It contributes to thinking and debate on transhumanism lsquoAnthropotechniersquo offers articles tackling ethical philosophical and political issues associated with the expansion of technological innovations relating to the enhancement of human bodies and abilities

In addition our blog lsquoTrop Librersquo casts a critical eye over the news and the world of ideas lsquoTrop Librersquo also extensively monitors the effects of the digital revolution on political economic and social practices in its lsquoRenaissance numeacuteriquersquo section

The Fondation pour lrsquoinnovation politique is a state-recognised organization It is independent and receives no financial support from any political party Its funding comes from both public and private sources Support both from companies and individuals contributes to the expansion of its activities

For more information fondapolorg

fondapolorg