Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque
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Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque: A spatial analysis of reconfiguration, challenge, and resistence to traditional mosques space and traditionalists’ views on gender and sexuality Rasha el-Sherif Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy in Gender Studies Centre for Gender Studies University of Oslo Blindern, Norway November 2019 © Rasha el-Sherif 2019 Tittel Rasha el-Sherif http://www.duo.uio.no/ Trykk: Reprosentralen, Universitetet i Oslo i Abstract Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque opened its doors in the German capital of Berlin in June 2017. Since its public opening, the mosque has proven a source of numerous controversies with traditional Muslims regarding its validity as a sacred place of prayer. The controversies and opposition result from the mosque’s adoption and practice of liberal Islam, which challenges the traditional Islamic teachings on gender and sexuality that continue to inform Muslim communities. This thesis examines how the space of the Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque is used by its members to reconfigure, challenge and resist traditional Muslim views pertaining to the workings of gender and sexuality in the mosque. This study is informed by feminist methodology and employed qualitative tools to generate rich and detailed observations and narratives relevant to the question at hand. The study employs spatial analysis and the concept of sacred space to investigate the space of the mosque and how it is used to reconfigure, challenge and resist traditional Muslim views on gender and sexuality. The findings revealed the dynamism of the space of the mosque as a physical, social, mental, space filled with power relations and its importance as a site of resistance and challenge to traditional Muslim views on gender and sexuality. It also showed the importance of giving more attention to the nascent movement of liberal mosques. ii Acknowledgments As I am writing the final words of this thesis, I cannot feel anything but happy and proud for being able to finish this thesis during a challenging time in my life. I would not have accomplished this without the help and support of many amazing people who I would like to thank. First, I would like to thank my supervisor, Nina Hoel for being such a great teacher and person. Nothing can express how much I appreciate your kindness and all the things you said to push me forward and to improve my self-confidence. You made this journey easy and fun. I am going to miss our meetings and chats very much. I would like to thank my friend, love, and wife Susanne Arnholz for being there for me, for not giving up on me, and for believing in me even when I lost all belief in myself. I love you to the moon and back, baby. I would like to thank my role model and sister, Hanan and her family for unlimited kindness, love, and support. I would like to thank the STK family, for their support, understanding, and motivation. A special thank you is due to Dr. Elham Manea for helping me to take the very first steps towards the Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque, and to Seyran Ateş, for the support, fruitful interviews, and amazing work she is doing. Finally, a special thank you is due to every member of the Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque for the time you gave me, the words you shared e, and the limitless love and peace I felt with you inside the mosque. I dedicate this thesis to those who still dare to dream, even in the darkest prisons of their oppressors. And to freedom. iii List of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................. 1 1.1 Research question ........................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Rationale, aim, scope ................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Structure ...................................................................................................................... 2 Chapter 2: Situating the study ........................................................................ 4 2.1 Mosques in Islam ......................................................................................................... 5 2.1.1 The interior of the mosque – The mihrab and the minbar ....................................... 6 2.1.2 The exterior of the mosque – The minaret ............................................................. 6 2.2 Prayer (salat) ............................................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 Friday prayer ......................................................................................................... 9 2.2.2 Ablution .............................................................................................................. 10 2.3 Women’s access to the mosque .................................................................................. 11 2.3.1 Women worshipers as caregivers ......................................................................... 12 2.4 Women’s leadership of the prayer .............................................................................. 13 2.4.1 Women’s voice as a source of temptation ............................................................ 14 2.4.2 Women’s bodies as a source of temptation .......................................................... 15 2.5 Homosexuality and Islam ........................................................................................... 15 2.5.1 Questioning the interpretations of the Quran ........................................................ 16 2.5.2 Questioning the interpretations of hadith ............................................................ 18 2.5.3 Queer Muslims’ access to the mosque ................................................................. 20 2.6 Liberal Muslims and Islam ......................................................................................... 20 2.7 Liberal mosques ......................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 3: Theoretical framework ............................................................... 25 3.1 The spatial analysis .................................................................................................... 25 3.2 The body as the source of “space” .............................................................................. 27 3.3 Dimensions of space .................................................................................................. 28 3.4 The properties of space .............................................................................................. 28 3.4.1 Power ................................................................................................................. 29 3.6 Sacred space ............................................................................................................. 31 Chapter 4: Methodology and methods ......................................................... 34 iv 4.1 Feminist research and objectivity .............................................................................. 34 4.2 Feminist standpoint epistemology .............................................................................. 36 4.3 Feminist standpoint in action ..................................................................................... 37 4.4 Fieldwork .................................................................................................................. 38 4.5 Interviews .................................................................................................................. 40 4.6 Interview questions and length................................................................................... 41 4.7 Observation ............................................................................................................... 42 4.8 Field notes ................................................................................................................. 42 4.9 Research participants ................................................................................................. 43 4.10 Data analysis ........................................................................................................... 43 4.11 Ethical considerations .............................................................................................. 44 Chapter 5: Empirical analysis of Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque ..................... 46 5.1 Inside Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque – The first Sunday ................................................. 46 5.1.1 The first Friday.................................................................................................... 50 5.1.2 The second Friday ............................................................................................... 54 5.1.3 The second and the last Sunday ........................................................................... 55 5.2 A spatial analysis of Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque ......................................................... 57 5.2.1 Body as the source of Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque ............................................... 57 5.2.2 Dimensions of space in the Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque ....................................... 64 5.2.2.1 The mosque physical space .......................................................................... 65 5.2.2.2 The mosque as a social space ....................................................................... 67 5.2.2.3 The mosque space as a mental