At the new Ibn-Rushd-Goethe mosque inside a Protestant church in Berlin, 20 to 30 liberal followers regularly practice what they call "modern Islam," NBC News reported.
Gay and lesbian Muslims are welcome, along with all schools of the religion. Women can participate without covering themselves with a hijab, burqa or niqab, and they can pray side-by-side with men.
Human rights lawyer Seyran Ates founded the mosque as a "place for all those people who do not meet the rules and regulations of conservative Muslims," where the Quran is read in a "critical historic context," she said.
While Ibn-Rushd-Goethe has drawn strong criticism from leaders in Turkey and Egypt as well as death threats to Ates, she said that the mosque — including its several refugee followers — sends a signal in the fight against Islamic terror.
