Europe's female imams challenge Muslim patriarchy – and fight Islamophobia The 'imamas' see their mosques as home for young, liberal Muslims who feel out of place at more conservative mosques with imported imams. And they think they can change the narrative of Islam in Europe.
Sherin Khankan flits about the window sills, lighting wicks and placing bouquets of roses in just the right places as she prepares for Friday prayers.
"We being women, there are always a lot of candles and flowers," explains Denmark's first female imam, placing a single, deep pink rose in a potted plant.
A second-floor walk-up off an upscale street in Copenhagen, the Mariam mosque indeed feels as snug as it does spiritual, and is intended foremost as a faith community for Danish Muslims who've failed to find one at more traditional mosques.
But the efforts here, the first of their kind in Denmark, could have a much wider impact.