A female professor led Islamic Friday prayers for both men and women in New York City today in a move that has stirred both praise and criticism throughout the Muslim world.

Amina Wadud, a professor of Islamic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, led the prayer service which took place at Synod House at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, an Episcopal church.

Traditionally, women do not lead prayers in Islam when men are present. Wadud addressed the issue directly before the service began. 'The issue of gender equality is a very important one in Islam, and Muslims have unfortunately used highly restrictive interpretations of history to move backward. With this prayer service we are moving forward. This single act is symbolic of the possibilities within Islam.'

Approximately 90 people attended the service. The women in attendance wore the traditional robes to maintain their modesty.

Critics of the decision to allow a woman to lead the Friday prayers had caused the service to be moved from its initial location. Three mosques declined to host the service and an art gallery backed down when it received a bomb threat.

Ahmed Nassef, a member of the group Muslim WakeUp! which helped organize the service said, 'It's not about telling other Muslims how they should worship,' Nassef said. 'We just need to be open to new ideas.'

A small group of protesters stood outside the church but were not permitted in by security forces. One protester told the Associated Press that Wadud 'is tarnishing the whole Islamic faith.'

Traditional Muslims were not pleased with the prayer service. Sheik Sayed Tantawi, an Egyptian cleric wrote in the newspaper Al-Ahram, "A woman's body is private. When she leads men in prayer, in this case, it's not proper for them to look at the woman whose body is in front of them. Even if they see it in their daily life, it shouldn't be in situations of worship, where the main point is humility and modesty."

Yvonne Hadad, a professor of Islamic studies at Georgetown University in Washington, DC told the Associated Press, "People in America think they are going to be the vanguards of change. But for Arab Muslims in the Middle East, American Muslims continue to be viewed on the margins of the faith."

Regardless of the outcome, Americna Muslims are openly debating the role of women in their faith. How American can you get?