Leading Islamic civil rights and advocacy groups in North America is to distribute a brochure designed to educate US Muslim leaders on the right of Muslim women to equal access to mosques and participation in community activities. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said the new publication states that "it's time to make mosques more open to women and to return to an equality that marked the origins of the faith," according to the civil rights' group Web site Thursday, June 30. The 28- page publication, called "Women Friendly Mosques and Community Centers: Working Together to Reclaim Our Heritage", was published through a collaborative effort of the Islamic Social Services Associations (ISSA) and Women in Islam (WII), it added."There are confirmed reports that many mosques relegate women to small, dingy, secluded, airless and segregated quarters with their children," Reuters reported Thursday, citing the booklet that was published online and is being distributed to mosques. "Some mosques in the United States and Canada actually prevent women from entering," the booklet added. It suggests women should be allowed to pray with men in the main hall of a mosque in a designated area that is not partitioned off and be given a safe and appropriate entrance to the buildings. It also suggests that at least two women be on every mosque governing board.