Islamic feminism more widespread in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Key takeaways
- Many Bosnian Muslim women want to attend mosque on Fridays and to play a greater role in decision-making.
- As is customary in Islam, women are not required to go to the mosque to pray on the holiest day of the week.
- In the secular state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, men and women are equal before the law.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Many Bosnian Muslim women want to attend mosque on Fridays and to play a greater role in decision-making. Slowly the official structures of the Islamic Community are changing.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Dlcn Religion has become more important since the Bosnian War Image: Elman Omic/Anadolu/picture alliance Advertisement Usually, it tends to be Muslim men who go to pray on Fridays in the mosques of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As is customary in Islam, women are not required to go to the mosque to pray on the holiest day of the week. However, more and more, devout Muslim women in the Western Balkan country want to attend the mosque, too.
In the secular state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, men and women are equal before the law. In recent decades, the state has made significant efforts to eliminate gender-based discrimination and protect women from violence. However, in certain religious communities, whether these are Muslim, Orthodox or Catholic, social and cultural norms continue to stand in the way of equality.