With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
Hasna Maznavi, the LA-based founder of the first all women’s mosque in the US, dies at 39
M. Hasna Maznavi, one of the co-founders of the Women’s Mosque of America in Los Angeles, died Wednesday from complications related to Type 1 diabetes, her family said in a statement. She was 39.
Maznavi was also a comedy writer, director and performer whose work focused on the authentic portrayal of Islam, Muslims and other underrepresented communities in the media. In 2014, she founded the first women-led Muslim house of worship in the U.S. when the Women’s Mosque of America opened its doors. It is led by women, for women and only open to women.
Maznavi told AirTalk’s Larry Mantle in 2015 that she created the mosque to “provide a platform for female Muslim scholars and female professionals and authorities, religious authorities, to be heard by the masses.”
The mosque, she added, was a safe space for women to grow.
“This mosque really starts as a childhood dream I had of building a mosque before I die, something that would give back after I was gone,” she said.
For her work in creating a safe space for empowering women, she was recognized as one of CNN’s 25 influential American Muslims in 2018.
A lasting legacy
Najeeba Syeed, El-Hibri endowed professor of interfaith studies and executive director of Interfaith at Augsburg University, called the mosque “beyond what many of us could have imagined.”
Syeed said Mazvani's death has been felt across the nation.
“She invited women to share an intergenerational experience of learning, activism, study and fellowship. I’ve received texts from women across the country mourning her passing and remembering how much she built community for all of us,” Syeed told LAist. “We’re so very sad to lose her and praying God blesses her for all her amazing efforts in this lifetime and her life’s work that brought so many Muslim women together.”
She will be profoundly missed by her family, friends, and all who knew her.
Faisal Buharie, a community leader based in Orange County, said Maznavi, who was of Sri Lankan descent, helped elevate “Sri Lankan Muslim representation in American society through her work in entertainment and civic engagement.”
Buharie called Maznavi “a person of extraordinary compassion who put others’ needs before own. The memory of her kindness and love will continue to live in our hearts.”
In a statement to LAist, the Maznavi family said: “Hasna’s legacy is one of creativity, compassion, and unwavering commitment to fostering unity across diverse communities. Her work will continue to inspire and uplift for generations to come. She will be profoundly missed by her family, friends, and all who knew her.”
Services are planned
Janaza (funeral) prayers for Maznavi will be held at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove at 11 a.m., April 5, followed by the burial at the Artesia Cemetery in Cerritos at 12:30 p.m.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

-
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures.
-
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump.
-
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence.
-
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.”
-
While working for the county, the DA’s office alleges that 13 employees fraudulently filed for unemployment, claiming to earn less than $600 a week.
-
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to declare immigration enforcement actions a local emergency.