I wouldn’t call Tower Hamlets ‘uber-liberal’ personally. Rather the opposite. Hackney, the other borough covering the park does have a few chi-chi bits, especially near the City of London in Shoreditch. But still. Tower Hamlets council is composed of over 95% Bengali men (I won’t even say descent or heritage, many were born there and the younger ones are still so steeped in that culture)
From the Mail on Sunday
Women and girls over the age of 12 have been banned by a mosque from taking part in a charity fun run, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The 5km event being held in an East London park today – which has been billed as ‘inclusive’ and ‘family-friendly’ – is open to men and boys of all ages, but organisers insist that female teenagers and women can be forbidden from joining in.
The fundraiser, called Muslim Charity Run and organised by East London Mosque, is being held in Victoria Park in Tower Hamlets.
The move by East London Mosque to ban females over 12 from the event comes amid growing concerns about the rise of sharia values taking precedence over British laws and traditions in communities across the country.
Last night, after being alerted to the Muslim Charity Run’s segregation rules by The Mail on Sunday, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said it would assess the case.
Outraged campaigners said banning some women was ‘plainly unlawful’ and ‘regressively sexist’ – and accused the organisers of being more ‘conservative’ than Saudi Arabia.
The annual event, originally named Run 4 Your Mosque, has been held in Victoria Park since 2012 without drawing any public criticism of its anti-women policy.
But the MoS is aware of one woman, who goes by the name ‘Farahyd89’ on social media, who has repeatedly attempted to raise the issue with organisers. She wrote on Instagram: ‘Why aren’t women allowed to join?’ and in another post she said: ‘Why are you not allowing women to even walk? Your grandmothers and mothers with prams also not welcome?’
On its website, the event claims to be an ‘inclusive’ family day out that allows ‘men, boys of all ages and girls under 12’ to take part.
When pressed by the MoS if that meant teens and older women could not run, the East London Mosque organisers confirmed that they are banned.
Kellie-Jay Keen, founder of feminist group Party Of Women, said: ‘Banning women and girls over the age of 12 from a public charity event is plainly unlawful… and reinforces regressive sexist attitudes towards women’s place in public life. No charity should be allowed to operate under a different set of rules because of religion or culture. Equality before the law must apply to everyone. ‘
‘The East London Mosque Trust reports annual revenues exceeding £5 million, including £10,000 from the Government, and claims to spend much of this on education,training, social welfare and community cohesion. It raises serious questions about how much of their charitable activity may also breach the Equality Act. It is clear that this organisation does not understand, or chooses to ignore, its legal responsibilities to women and girls.’
Despite that, mosque leaders last night insisted that their policy was not in contravention of the Equality Act, which makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the grounds of their sex. However, they failed to explain why some girls could take part in the event – those under 12 years old – and not others.
The revelations will compound fears that there is a growing tide of ‘sharia’ values in Britain – a concern raised by President Donald Trump at the UN last month. In a chilling warning, the US President said London wants ‘to go to sharia law’ under its ‘terrible’ mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan.
Mr Khan – who responded to Mr Trump by calling him ‘Islamophobic’ and ‘racist’ – last night did not respond to a request to comment on whether Muslim Charity Run’s rules were acceptable.
Last night, an East London Mosque spokesman said: ‘The suggestion that our event breaches the Equality Act is entirely incorrect. Single-gender sporting events are lawful under Section 195 and Schedule 23 of the Act, and are common across the UK, including the Women’s Run Series, Nike Women’s 10K, and gender-segregated swimming sessions at Orthodox Jewish facilities like Manchester Jewish Community Centre.
‘The Muslim Charity Run operates under the same legal framework as these established events.’
Victoria Park was established in the early 19th century (1850ish, without looking it up) and protected from building encroachment as an open public space where the local inhabitants, mostly working class, could be assured of a space to get fresh air and sunshine after a week spent cooped up in a factory or workshop. It was supposed to be for EVERYBODY equally!
