A Fife mosque has been at the forefront of calls for the Muslim community to put an end to violence against women and girls.
Kirkcaldy Central Mosque was one of just a select few across the UK which changed its usual Friday religious speeches, khutbahs, for a sermon on gender justice.
The gesture was in support of Islamic Relief UK’s 16 Days of Activism campaign, #ThroughHerEyes, which falls between November 25 and December 10, and saw Imams quote sections of the Quran dispelling stereotypes and making it clear that violence against women is not tolerated in any form.
As the UK’s largest Muslim charity, Islamic Relief UK is using the campaign to take a stance against all forms of violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse, sexual violence, human trafficking, forced and early child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), and so-called “honour” killings.
Maria Zafar, campaigns and mobilisation co-ordinator at Islamic Relief UK, revealed that two women a week in the UK alone are killed by a current or former male partner.
“As the UK’s largest Muslim charity it is vital that we use our voice to try and challenge negative stereotypes about gender roles and teach people that any form of abuse against women and girls is wrong,” she said.
“Islamic Relief supports women in some of the world’s poorest countries, from empowering communities in Ethiopia to end FGM, to ending early forced marriage in Niger, to providing safe spaces for female refugees.
“It is crucial that in the UK, we take inspiration from this incredible work and speak to our own communities about what equality for women really looks like.”
Kirkcaldy was one of a handful of mosques delivering sermons north of the border, with individual mosques in Edinburgh and Glasgow joining in similar events held in London, Manchester, Hull and south Wales.
The Soroptimist International (SI) of Kirkcaldy group is also showing solidarity with the campaign, focusing on rape as a weapon used both in war and in peace time against women and girls.
Valerie Cuell, president of SI Kirkcaldy, explained: “Soroptimists worldwide stand up in support of the victims of rape wherever they live in today’s world.
“We note the number of reported cases of rape in Nepal have quadrupled in the past decade.
“One survey in 2016 found that 23% of women had been subject to physical, emotional or sexual violence with 7% having experienced sexual violence.
“Over half of the victims were minors, one in five under the age of 10.
“Soroptimists, locally and nationwide, will be supporting our new project ‘Empowering Girls in Nepal’, partnering with charity ChoraChori UK, which will provide security, rehabilitation, education and training for vulnerable girls who are school drop-outs, or who come from rural communities where sexual abuse is commonplace.
“Some club members were fortunate to meet the founder of ChoraChori recently when he visited Kirkcaldy to update the members of the Congregational Church who have supported the charity for 20 years.”
