despite receiving death threats and fierce criticism from parts of the
local Muslim community.Women will also be allowed to lead prayers at
Taj Hargey's"Open Mosque" in Cape Town.
Mr Hargey, a professor at the Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford in
the UK, told the BBC's Newsday programme it was time for a "religious
revolution".
"We are opening the mosque for open-minded people, not closed-minded
people.In South Africa 20 years ago, there was a peaceful revolution
changing from apartheid to democracy and we need to have a similar
development in the area of religion," he said He says the mosque will
help counter growing Islamic radicalism. Mr Hargey, who was born in
Cape Town, said the mosque would welcome people from all genders,
religions and sexual orientations.
As well as leading prayers, women would be allowed to pray in the same
room as men, he said.
He contrasted this to the current Islamic practice which sees "women
at the back of the street, back of the hall, out of sight, out of
mind".
However, members of Cape Town's large Muslim community have taken to
social media to criticise the new mosque, with some labelling him a
"heretic" or "non-believer".
One group tried to block the opening of the mosque.
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