Mosque will be open to women, non-Hindus

The proposed mosque in Ayodhya, which is to be constructed by the UP Sunni Waqf Board, would have a contemporary design with no element of Babri Mosque woven into it, the consultant architect SM Akhtar has said.

The mosque, an Indo-Islamic cultural centre and a library have been planned on five acres of land at the outskirts of Ayodhya, which were given to the Sunni Waqf Board as per the Supreme Court order in the Ram Janmabhoomi title case.

Prof SM Akhtar, who is the head of the Architecture Department at Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi, says, “The brainstorming over the design is on. But one thing for sure, it will have no vestiges of the past. The mosque would be contemporary in design and energy efficient, like the one in Udupi, Karnataka.”

Prof Akhtar, who is also an environmentalist and town planner, says, “We would explore all non-conventional energy options though, to make it an environment-friendly mosque.”

Not just outlook, the mosque would adhere to modern maxims as well. It would allow women and even the non-Muslims.

Athar Hussain, Secretary of the Indo Islamic Cultural Centre Foundation (IICF), said, “The upcoming mosque would be open to everyone, Only the visitors will have to follow certain rules such as cleaning themselves (ablution or Wuzu) and women will have to use scarves to cover their heads.”

Traditionally, mosques in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere in India don’t usually allow women and people of other faith.

However, newly built places of worship, such as the Shaikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE, allow everyone, with certain rules.