Sherin Khankan, a progressive Muslim leader and imam, spearheads Islamic reform by encouraging women to direct the prayer aloud and in public for the first time. Her Danish mosque—one of the first in Europe to be run by female imams—challenges fears about Islam and champions the idea that a religious society should be led by the wisest and most knowledgeable, regardless of gender. Men and women are not equal so long as women have to justify what they want, do, think and are. By empowering women in the community and encouraging alternate readings of the Qur'an that query established gender hierarchies, Sherin and her supporters hope to inspire change. By questioning who leads and who follows, The Reformist probes the misogyny that prevents Muslim women from becoming role models and leaders within their own faith, one that stands for unconditional love, being your true self and accepting that "when we hurt each other, we hurt ourselves." Angie Driscoll
The Changing Face of Europe program presented in partnership with European Film Promotion (EFP).