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.

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“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.”

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.