DAR AL ISLAM - MOROCCO: FEMALE CLERICS/IMAM'S, A NEW PHENOMENON IN DAR AL ISLAM

Islam's pioneering women priests

A radical new innovation in the Islamic world has arisen in Morocco - women priests. The Mourchidat, as they are known, are the first women ever in any Muslim country that can perform the functions of a male Imam in a mosque, except lead the prayers.

Fifty Mourchidat have graduated and have now begun their ministries.

However, not everyone agrees with the new appointments.

The Mourchidat will be allowed to lead religious discussions and give advice in their communities - particularly to women.

The only thing they will not be able to do is to lead prayers. That role will still be reserved for male Imams.

In the courtyard of Rabat's biggest mosque - the Sunna mosque - I spoke to Khadija al-Aktami. She is one of the newly qualified Mourchidat.

I asked her why she thought women would be well suited to this new role: "Women make good priests because God has made them more sensitive, merciful and more patient than men! A woman is a mother, a wife, a daughter and a friend, so she will perform well in this role. Besides, no one can understand a woman as well as another woman."

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1) Islam's pioneering women priests