Jalsa Salana, a huge men only festival in the UK.

Meant to add, I don't hate the congregation. I don't hate anyone because of their religion.

I think it’s racist to assume that Islam can’t possibly have equal rights for women one day.

You are on a feminist board - surely it’s not unusual to push for female equality in the UK if you are a feminist?

I also think women should be able to choose to be the “flower never beheld by the gardener” if that’s what they want, but it has to be a choice.

Just as well I didnt assume any such thing then.

I am a feminist woman with a religion, so I am aware of the changes religious women have achieved and are still striving for, within their own faiths. This White Saviour bullshit is, at best, vacuous virtue signalling.

Why do we have single sex schools? Should they be banned. Is there a feminist argument for them?

Because I personally feel that in most religions segregation has its roots in patriarchal power and control. Convents were about controlling women - in the medieval eras it was wear they sent women who were promiscuous, who refused to obey parents, etc. Male orders - monasteries etc - conveyed power and social standing and afforded privilege from their very inception. The RC church retains this male privilege and patriarchal power structure in its continued refusal to admit women and to exert it’s influence over the abortion/bodily autonomy debate throughout the world.

In an era when women can be clerics in the Anglican church and are deemed to have equal standing with men in society and law in the UK and USA at least [I appreciate not elsewhere in the world necessarily], there is no reason to retain single sexed religious orders. The practicing of faiths should be open to persons of both sexes and recognise its adherents as equals regardless of sex.

I have issues with the subordination and exclusion of women from all and any religion because I feel that pretty much every religion is a vestige of the patriarchal societal structures in which those religions were formulated.

Yeah, this was on my local news. It made me chuckle how they were going on about inclusivity with not one woman to be seen. How very modern 🙄

Yes there is a feminist argument for them.

I don't agree with it, necessarily, but there is evidence that girls do very much better in terms of academic achievement, and of course are safer, when in a single sex envronment.

I've had friends who felt that a single sex school really caused them great difficult in learning how to interact with the opposite sex, though. (friends of both sexes, fwiw).

Hm. The context may have changed, though?

I'm an agnostic, so it won't happen, but part of me loves the thought of living in a cloistered sisterhood. Certainly I can see the advantages for religious people, or at least the removal of a lot of problematic issues.

I am not sure the context has changed at all which may be one of the reasons the number of women choosing the life is declining - 82% drop in numbers in the US alone since 1965. This seems to be largely replicated across the world, because women are no longer bound in most developed countries by that patriarchy? They are free to live their lives now - have mortgages, jobs, got to university, when those options were simply not available.

There are plenty of voluntary women’s communes for those that seek the exclusive same-sex companionship and retreat from modern life - without the historical patriarchal roots or the interference of men in the practice of doing so? After all, most convents are ultimately answerable to the bishop of the diocese within which they reside, and are bound by his edicts… and those of the bloke in the Vatican.

Can’t be racist about a religion - religionist or discriminating against a religion I suppose.

I went to a single sex school too. To be honest I don't think I'd have thrived in a mixed sex one.
One of the arguments for is the lack of distraction. I think this can apply in the religious context of prayer and worship as well. The ability to focus on the spiritual without distractions.

Religions should be allowed to practice as they wish as long as they do not break laws of the country they are in and this does not. If muslim men and women want to get rid of segregation in their religion that is up to them. Its not up to the state.

Muslim women often really like the women only spaces in their religion. The community amongst women is often really strong in Islam and the female only spaces contribute to this.

They are also free to chose more or less conservative versions of their religion just as any other religious adherent is.

I really can't respect the opinion of anyone outside of the religion who has not tried to learn about the religion or what its adherents think.

Wow fortress Britain.
And it certainly isn't British culture and if islam and Judaism want to practice it I would prefer them not to make Britain a world centre for a conference.
You obviously don't know any Ahmadi women. Are we going to ban the Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh festivals as well.
Close all the religious institutions.

There's an Ahmadiyya Peace Prize awarded at the conference each year.
This conference is not run by the flipping Ayatollah

Mr. Sompop Jantraka is the Ahmadiyya Muslim 2026 Peace Prize Winner. A human rights activist from Thailand, he is dedicated to protecting children from exploitative labour and trafficking. #JalsaUK
He's worth a look

And before anyone says anything there have been previous female winners.

The women's version sounds like it's organised by women for women, so if you're going to ban the men's version, are you also going to ban the females? And if not, then why would any women want to go to the men's one when theirs is probably much better for them as its organised by women for women?

There are two billion muslims in the world. There is huge variation in belief and practice. I am very critical of aspects of Islam, and I am very critical of the failure of our politicians and institutions who fail to stand up to muslim communities who try to impose the expectations of their religion on non-believers. There are many practices of Islam in relation to women which I am very critical of and which I think we should not tolerate in the UK.

However, what you have posted about is not something that I can even begin to be bothered about. We live in a liberal society and people are allowed to privately practice their religion within our laws. People freely choosing to attend a private event which is sex segregated does not bother me. This should be allowed in a liberal society and it is.

Yes, I should have phrased it better - I was just replying directly to the previous poster saying this was

”racism masking as women's rights”

My concern about this event is to do with the growing influence and power of Islam. Britain is a good base for this as we have been encouraged to devalue our own culture.

Segregation of women in Islam is a given, but I see that as something they need to sort out for themselves.

At least you're honest about it.

I reluctantly agree. Not because of most of the members of the Muslim religion, but because. -as the rape gang debacle shows - most people in power are too afraid to call out the anti-liberal democratic aspects of Islam and its harbouring of anti-Western fundamentalists.

Yes, and unfortunately Labour and the Greens increasingly see the Muslim community as their voter base. So they won't do anything to alienate the Muslim vote, not even to protect thousands of British girls from torture and abuse. It really is shameful.

I think there are moderates in the Muslim community but they are in fear of the more strident and fundamentalist elements and all this weakness and cowardice just emboldens the extremists.

I'm not a fan of Islam but I can't see the issue here. There is another event provided only for women. Both men and women benefit from single sex space and deserve to have access to it where they need it. Provided that the women are equally provided for with their own event, I can't see the harm.