In Central Asia, otnae (women spiritual teachers) occupied an important place in teaching the Islamic faith to young girls and women. In the past and today as well, parents sent their daughters at age eight and up to otnae to study how to pray. Girls born in religious families, however, would start to pray at age five and learn from their parents without going to otnae, even though their mothers were not necessarily otnae. Until recently, girls in Central Asia were taught ablution and prayer at the home of the otnae. Nowadays some of this education takes place in the mosque, at the s…