Iran lifts ban on women leading mass prayers

TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Iranian religious elders have lifted a ban on women leading congregational prayers for the first time in the history of Shi'ite Islam, the state news agency IRNA said on Tuesday.

Six top Islamic jurists or "marjas" issued a fatwa authorizing women to lead worshippers of their own sex, it said, citing an education ministry official.

The marjas are widely respected and emulated among the country's pious population.

Until now, only males, mainly clerics, have been allowed to lead such congregations.

There was no immediate indication of the reasons behind the landmark decision, but some clerics have complained of declining interest in religion among young people.

"The fatwa helps solve a problem in mass prayers in girls' schools. It is useful in persuading schoolgirls to pray," the education official said.

The move could also be seen as a triumph for feminist-inspired movements in the Islamic republic.

Some more progressive forces in the religious community have challenged traditional male privileges in the religious hierarchy, including the right to be clerics.

On the secular front, some women have fought for the right to run for president, from which they are effectively barred.

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