ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: A visiting Norwegian scholar Friday warned that unless the Islamic diaspora in Europe lived Islam in a meaningful way it would lose its youth to the western culture. “We have to leave our prejudices and face the challenges of today,” said Ms Lena Larsen, Coordinator of the Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religious Beliefs, in a lecture at the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII).

Ms Larsen converted to Islam 30 years ago, learnt Arabic and took leading part in mosque activities in Norway as head of the Islamic Council in the country.

While the first generation of Muslim immigrants in Norway practised Islam unquestioningly, she said their children ask questions. Research and Ijtehad (reform) were needed to make Islam “meaningful” to them in the “reality” of the Norwegian society.

But Muslim leaders were not prepared to deal with the reality. “We have not explored Sharia principles to the extent possible,” she said.

Though the challenge facing the Ulema in Europe is how to resolve the notions of morality in the national laws and Sharia laws, she said they were found deciding fatwas whether or not to allow Muslim women to ride bicycles, or to have their hair cut without the permission of their husband.

Ms Larsen said the councils of Ulema in Europe took positions on the issues of divorce, custody of children, polygamy and access to mosques without consulting women.

There were Ulema who took positions favouring women in private counselling, she said. But being “hostage to the community” spoke differently in public.

“Nobody was listening to women. The approach of the French authorities and the Ulema on Hijab issue was lost in a power struggle,” she recalled.

“Muslim women are fighting to get into mosques. You have to be in the mosque to be visible. Non-Muslims watch how you treat your women, not how you preach your religion,” she said.

Things were changing, however. Women were now represented in the Council of Ulema in Europe for Fatwa and Research and in mosque committees and her decision to admit Muslim women without Hijab into the mosque where she teaches Islamic studies was attracting more and more of them.

She said the issue of Hijab had become a symbol of defiance for Muslims and of authority for the state. “We should stop discussing women’s clothes. It is a private affair,” she said.