The Ambar Mosque in Lucknow broke barriers when it was set up for women in 1997, shattering religious stereotypes and age-old customs. Now, the all-women group has taken a new initiative to make the mosque ‘pollution-free’. The first mosque for women in the country, located on PGI Road, has now gone solar.
The Ambar Mosque in Lucknow broke barriers when it was set up for women in 1997, shattering religious stereotypes and age-old customs. Now, the all-women group has taken a new initiative to make the mosque ‘pollution-free’. The first mosque for women in the country, located on PGI Road, has now gone solar.
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To help reduce pollution in the city, the mosque will now operate on 100% renewable energy.
The mosque gave Muslim women the power to break certain irrational religious beliefs by allowing them to have their own exclusive place to come and offer their prayers.
“We have decided to instal solar panels to power the mosque to reduce its dependence on electricity produced from highly polluting sources such as coal. The focus will be on clean sources such as solar energy,” Shaista Ambar, founder president of All-India Muslim Women Personal Law Board, had earlier told Hindustan Times.
A known feminist, Shaista is worried about Lucknow’s air quality and told India Times, “Over the last few years, air quality in the city has become worse while rural areas of Uttar Pradesh have been suffering frequent power cuts. We all are to be blamed for it and we must all do our bit to improve the air quality and access to electricity. Everybody should have access to clean air and clean electricity. Electricity produced from solar energy does not cause air pollution like coal power plants do. If everyone starts using solar energy, then Lucknow’s air quality will start to improve as well as reduce power cuts.”
Shaista and the women’s wing are responsible for taking a landmark stand 20 years ago to fight patriarchy. The mosque and its women members help their compatriots in the community deal with things such as talaq, educating the girl child, providing medicine etc.
A day after India's 1st women's mosque goes #solar, Divya Giri, head/first female priest of oldest Lucknow Hindu temple, on solar benefits pic.twitter.com/tkeXOXzTWx
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