Roshan Jamal: faith without boundaries

Summary: Roshan Jamal grew up in a traditional Muslim family in India. When she settled in Toronto with her husband Hussein she had difficulties finding a mosque where women and men were treated equally. Then Roshan met a philanthropist called Hassanali Lakhani who yearned to establish an Islamic community centre where Muslims could practice Islam as it was practiced at the time of the Prophet Mohammed: with a stress on justice and gender equality. It was a struggle, but by 2004, the two would open the doors to the innovative Noor Cultural Centre in Toronto where women and men could pray and study together in an open and democratic environment. In the past year the centre has grown increasingly popular with Muslims of all cultural backgrounds and sects.