Women seek diverse paths to leadership in Islamic spaces

By MARIAM FAM of The Associated Press and AYSHA KHAN of Religion News Service

CAIRO (AP) — From religious courts to spiritual care to Islamic scholarship, Muslim women have been carving out spaces for themselves and paving the way for others to follow in their footsteps. Around the world, women are teaching in Islamic schools and universities, leading Quran study circles, preaching and otherwise providing religious guidance to the faithful. The formal ranks of leadership remain largely filled with men — women don’t lead mixed-gender congregational prayers in traditional settings. But many say they see plenty of other paths to leadership and find historical example in the roles of some women in the earliest years of the faith.