THE founder of Scandinavia's first women-led mosque said female imams would have an impact on families, providing "an alternative narrative" to tackle Islamophobia".

Sherin Khankan, founder of Mariam Mosque, which opened in Denmark in February, was a guest speaker at the recent Daughters of Eve Conference, held by the Muslim Women's Council in Bradford.

The conference saw the announcement of a £500,000 fundraising strategy, to buy land for a women-led mosque in the city - the first of its kind in Britain. The initiative is led by the Bradford-based Muslim Women's Council, which first revealed the plans a year ago.

More than 200 women from across the UK and overseas, including speakers from America, Germany and Denmark, were at last month's conference to hear about the project. Bana Gora, chief executive officer of the Muslim Women’s Council said the aim was to secure enough donations over the next two years to purchase land "close to the city centre.”

She added: "When it comes to mosques and their facilities, women do not have equal access. We have some excellent mosques in Bradford with good access; however they are few and far between. It is for this reason that Muslim Women’s Council aim to ensure that Muslim women have the space to discuss issues that affect them and their families in their daily lives in an environment that is open to everyone.

“We are pretty confident from the conversations we are having and the partnerships that we have in place that we will raise the money needed in the next two years.”

Following the official launch of the project, Sherin Khankan said: “A women-led mosque would enable Muslim women to be visible in roles and institutions that are traditionally patriarchal. The impact of female ‘imamahs’ would go beyond the mosque, impacting husbands, children, and provide an alternative narrative when countering Islamophobia.”

Shaykha Reima Yosif, president of Rawiya Foundation, an organisation based in America promoting the empowerment of Muslim women, said: “The verse outlining roles of men and women has been misinterpreted. Men are not the custodians of women, and women are not meant to be devoutly obedient to them.”

Since the plans were announced last year, consultations have taken place and the Muslim Women's Council (MWC) says the project has backing across the UK and internationally. A MWC statement said: "Access for women to existing mosques is inadequate at present, so a need has been established. Women’s representation on governance structures is non-existent on committees and boards, segregated spaces are dated and unwelcoming. This is by no means a criticism of the immense efforts of the previous generation in establishing a strong network of mosques across the UK. However, the needs of women have been continuously overlooked.

"The aim is to create an all-inclusive, fully accessible space for all communities, Muslims and non-Muslims. A safe space where women’s issues can be discussed as well as wrap-around community services for all.

"Women make up 50per cent of the population, and many donations come from women. Yet when it comes to mosques and their facilities, women do not have equal access. We have excellent mosques in Bradford with good access; however they are few and far between. No one should ever be excluded from a place of worship but there are numerous examples where this has happened, locally and nationally.

"Women are the fastest growing segment of the Muslim population and also the group most under attack, verbally and physically. They are being rejected by the institutions they need the most. It is for this reason that Muslim Women’s Council aim to ensure that Muslim women have the space to discuss issues that affect them and their families in an environment open to everyone."

Daughters of Eve, an annual event, enables women of all faiths to discuss issues of importance to them. Items on this year's agenda the status of women in Islam and the challenges facing Muslim women in the UK and Europe in the face of growing Islamophobia. The dialogue will feed into the current national debate about Islam and its place in modern Britain.

The conference, held in partnership with Rawiyah Foundation, featured Shaykhas (female scholars) and other speakers including Shaykha Safia Shahid, a leading UK-based scholar, Sarah Joseph, editor of Muslim lifestyle magazine EMEL, and Yasmin Amin, a doctorate student researching humour in Islam.

Selina Ullah, chairman of the Muslim Women’s Council, said: “The weekend provided an opportunity for women to take ownership of the discourse surrounding Muslim women and challenge the widely-held stereotypes of Muslim women being submissive."

* For more about the women-led mosque project visit womenledmosque.co.uk