Cape Town 'Open Mosque' Criticized as Gay

OnIslam & Newspapers

Monday, 15 September 2014 00:00

The new "mosque" has attracted criticism from South African Muslim groups and leaders.

CAIRO – Described by its founders as the first gender-equal, non-sectarian worshipping house, a new Cape Town mosque planned for inauguration next Friday has sparked huge criticism on social media, described as a “gay temple” that contradicts with Islam.

“I guess the Muslim clergy is not pleased with an independent new mosque that will challenge their authority,” Taj Hargey, a professor of Islamic Studies and African history at Oxford University, told Cape Times on Monday, September 15.

“I preach an Islam that is enlightened, erudite and egalitarian.”

Hargey is the founder of the new Open Mosque, planned to host its first prayer next Friday in Lester Road, Wynberg, Western Cape Town.

The new mosque is described by its founder as South Africa’s first gender-equal, non-sectarian and interracial mosque.

The house of worshipping would welcome both Sunni and Shiite Muslims at the same service.

Moreover, it will invite women to lead prayers and welcome gays and non-Muslims.

“I do not endorse homosexual living, but I do not condemn them as people. We will, however, welcome gay people and discuss topical subjects like sexuality, politics and others,” he said.

He added that the mosque would also marry Muslim women who wanted to wed outside their faith.

Hargey, however, stressed that the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) had no authority over him or the mosque.

“I think the reason for the strong reaction to the mosque was because the clergy like the MJC do not want to be challenged on the theological monopoly they have,” he said.

“The MJC is unelected, non-transparent and self-styled. They have no authority over me or the mosque.”

Criticism

Apart from the storm raised on social media and WhatsApp regarding the new mosque, it has also attracted criticism from South African Muslim groups and leaders.

“We see and feel the anxiousness in our community. Alhamdulillah (Thank God), our community is trying to protect the integrity and purity of our deen (faith),” Riad Fataar, MJC deputy president, told the Voice of the Cape over the weekend.

Fataar added that the MJC council was investigating the establishment of the mosque.

“Anything that goes against our deen (faith) and which rejects the primary sources such the Qur’an and Hadeeth will be condemned by the MJC,” he said.

“We want to make sure that our deen is protected and that the Muslim community is not fooled.”

Mansoora Africa, chairwoman of the Islamic Unity Convention, felt a woman could lead Friday prayers only if there was no “capable man” at the gathering.

In general, during Muslim prayers, women may not lead men but may lead other women, which is the case of females leading prayers in female-only mosques in China.

In Islam, the majority of jurists maintain that a woman is allowed to lead her fellow sisters in congregational prayer if there is no man to lead the congregation.

Same-sex relationship and marriage are totally prohibited in Islam, Christianity and all divine religions.

Islam teaches that believers should neither do the obscene acts, nor in any way indulge in their propagation.

The Catholic Church teaches that homosexuality is not a sin, but considers homosexual intercourse as sinful.

In November 2012, a French homosexual opened a mosque in Paris that welcomed gay worshippers and women who do not wear hijab.

The move triggered condemnations from French Muslims, as Muslim scholars denounced it for promoting immoralities and wrongdoings.