Women-only mosque first of its kind in US

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Women gather for afternoon prayers in the heart of a mosque, which is a place where women are traditionally forbidden.

"Mosques, in general, sometimes they end up marginalizing women whether it's intentional or not, sometimes accidental, but this is a safe space for women to grow. Not just [a place] to pray, but also to feel a sense of community," Nashwah Akhtar said.

Akhtar is one of many women to be part of The Women's Mosque of America, which is the first of its kind in the country. It is a sacred place for Muslim women to take center stage, say prayers and ask questions.

"One of the unique features about this space is we have a question and answer circle after every service, where we're really trying to encourage that sort of direct access to knowledge and to the imam for women," said Sana Muttalib, co-president of the mosque.

"We are like 50 percent or more population wise and our participation in mosque is very limited in a normal mosque so I think we need something like this," Pasadena resident Sana Hasnin said.

The space was originally built as a synagogue in the interfaith Pico-Union District, but now it's a mosque that invites only women of all faiths to join in the worship.

The focus is for women to practice Islam in a safe place, free of judgment and gender-specific rules.

"Most of the mosques I've been to in the U.S. and in other places in the world have a side entrance, or have a different entrance for women. So seeing women come through the front doors and fill the middle of the space is so empowering to me," Lori Margaret said.

For now the women's mosque gathers just once a month, but they hope to offer monthly services as a way to give women a special place to pray.