Director Zarqa Nawaz, distinguished visitor in women’s studies, will present a free public screening of her 2005 documentary film Me and the Mosque in room 104 Toldo Health Education Centre on Monday, October 5, at 7 p.m.
Using original animation, archival footage and personal interviews, Me and the Mosque portrays the multiple relationships Canadian Muslim women entertain with Islam’s place of worship, the mosque.
Many adherents are drawn to Islam because of its emphasis on social justice and spiritual equality between the sexes. Yet many mosques force women to pray behind barriers, separate from men, and some do not even permit women to enter the building.
Exploring all sides of the issue, Nawaz’s film examines the space—both physical and social—granted to women in mosques across the country.