To think it is outrageous to ban women and girls over 13 from a fun run?

[Lex345]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1kwk1204jno

I just caught this on the news-the article isn't clear on the justification for this-but this isn't OK is it?

You are the one who is talking nonsense.
You don’t speak for white women in this country so don’t try to tell them how they feel or what their thoughts should be.

Single sex spaces are allowed if they are a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

This clearly applies to women's only running clubs. Some women may feel uncomfortable, for many reasons including religious ones, with participating in groups with men.

This 'fun' run isn't operating a single sex event. It is allowing girls under the age of 12 to participate. There is no 'legitimate' aim in excluding women and girls above the age of 12.

HTH

I don't have any objection to men only events. Providing there's a legitimate reason for them, this allowed under UK law. In this case there is no legitimate reason to exclude females over the age of 12.

This. 100%.

Events like this usually need permission from the local authority/ landowner. I’d like to understand how this event got permission in the first place. Because if local authorities are now endorsing discrimination against women then it’s a worrying situation for women’s rights in the UK.

Where are you getting the idea that men-only running clubs are unlawful? That simply is not true. Single-sex exemptions can be applied to both sexes.

It IS outrageous, but the positive here is that it has raised the reality of misogyny within Islam to a wider audience. There are still people that try and claim Islam was the first religion to promote the rights of women, that will portray hijab and niqab as being part of Islam valuing and protecting and respecting women, that will claim that all women and girls wearing hijab/burqa are doing so of their own volition and free choice, and so forth. We're in this weird area where we're so tolerant of intolerance, we're defending and promoting intolerance and misogyny.

I consider myself pretty liberal/left leaning, and I've been shocked at how quick Western liberals are to extol the virtues of Islam and completely close their eyes to the true picture. I feel this way about all religions.

Thankfully this will raise awareness. I'm not sure what people can realistically do from outside of the community. But if it educates one person who was walking around saying the things in my first paragraph, that's a good thing.

We need to be able to call out intolerance and sexism, oppression and misogyny, without being accused of Islamophobia.

If the fun run was male only, or children only, then it likely wouldn't be contravening any laws, from what little I understand. The fact that it allows both males and females to run, but bans only females over the age of 12, means it's discriminatory as it's not single sexed, nor restricted by general age limits. It specifically seeks to exclude females over a certain age.

Multiple papers have printed this quote: "Baroness Shaista Gohir OBE, the chief executive of the Muslim Women's Network UK, said the East London Mosque, which is behind the event, was 'likely' in breach of the Equality Act."

And you are not in a position to tell women in this country what they can or cannot discuss.

Ha! That was my entire point with my first thread: a MUSLIM chairty run is relevant for MUSLIMS - so if you are not one, why do you feel the need to exert an opinion on how Muslims live?

@Plantine Are you worried that drawing attention to this could give some muslim women and girls some food for thought? They could start to realise that the way they are treated as less than men, who have freedom to move around as they please.

Is this why you’re telling us to not discuss this as to not stir the pot?

On the clothes point: You mention there’s a ‘standard’ that says less clothes is better than covered head to toe ? Can we perhaps meet in the middle and choose comfortable, appropriate clothes that let us move freely?

That's quite a lot of whataboutery. Some men are arseholes; it's not news.

If this is such an inconsequential issue perhaps you can explain why the mosque decided women should be excluded.

And that’s all you got from that isn’t it.
Or all you will admit is the facts.
No one said little clothes is better than more clothes.
Its is a choice that women should be allowed to have not dictated to by men.

what significant difference does it make? Will women suddenly be in amuch better position within society if they can participate in this particular run?

Short answer: Yes.

Small changes over time build up to a big change. That’s why it will make a difference to society in the long run. Attitudes can change slowly.

Why do you think it is okay to sexualise 13 year old girls (by lumping them in with the grown women) AND not treat women and men as equal? I’m genuinely curious

No you choose to see only your bias.
Shall we not discuss the disgusting grooming gangs by Muslim men in this country as it doesn’t fit your bias.

“At least they are criminal gangs”
So you are trying to dismiss and downplay the Muslim grooming gangs.
Yes we see YOU.

"I don't live in the UK"

Oh, here it is. You don't even live in this country and you feel qualified to lecture us on how life is like here?

Ah here we go, shout Islamophobia when you want to shut discussion down.
Nice try sunshine, it won’t work.

I think it's more about the government afraid to 'stir the nest' if you know what I mean rather than the country transforming into Gilead. UK is one of the most liberal country in the world that I know of and I've lived in a few. I doubt any of us would like to take part in that race, anyway. The government's thinking would be, if the women in that community don't care about it, then it's none of our business, really.

I can't believe this was allowed to happen in the UK. Absolutely disgusting.

From a mixed race, liberal who votes Green.

It is happening in our country, our input is very much warranted.
Not heard the term fit in or fuck off ?

@Plantine
Are you reading that, read it and understand it.

What’s the difference between this and a women’s only fun run?

So from what I can see this race contravenes the equality act 2010 as mentioned by many previous posters. The race will be on public land.

I have a simple solution.

Some posters have mentioned something to the effect that "it's a Muslim event, organised by the local mosque"

That being the case, may I invite the organisers to consider a change of venue and ask them to run round and round in circles in their own mosque and not foist their blatant misogyny onto the rest of us.

Easy!

A genuine question - were little boys allowed on the Breast Cancer fun runs, but excluded as soon as they hit puberty (like females on the Muslim fun run)?

I think blatant misogyny is disgusting and should be called out whether it has been called out before, or not, whether it is black misogyny or white, religious or atheist, muslim or christian.

Islam could definitely attract fewer misogyny accusations were it to masssive reduce the incredibly high levels of misogyny within the muslim community.

Been answered more than once on this thread.