Muslim charity run

[Thomasina79]

Has banned women and girls over the age of 12 from participating. Thoughts?

Fact pattern.

• mens charity race.
• children over 12 could stay at home if their dad is a single parent.

Sounds inclusive to me try a similar scenario without the racist overlay.

• Woman’s charity race
• to make sure no one is excluded if you’ve got kids (any age or gender) they can come with you

Please don’t take a daily mail headline and add to the hate. Let them run a men’s charity race

Yes, that quote. Gobsmacking. I have no illusions about Islam, and I would be very cautious about the charities it’s funding, as the Charity Commission is lazy and complacent about where the money goes. But openly banning women from a ‘family friendly’ race? They have no shame.

And what message does this send out to the other boys and girls in primary school? That girls should be covered up and not allowed to do sport. How is this even allowed yet alone tolerated. We fought for equal rights for so many decades to just see it disappearing overnight.

I’m so sorry that you experienced that.

And yes I know that all Muslims are not like that. I also met some of the kindest, most respectful and nicest people I’ve ever encountered in Pollokshields but unfortunately they were in the minority. And I never could get used to not seeing women and children out during the day.

I do think that their religion was a factor though as was, and perhaps even more so, that most of the local Muslim population seemed to come from areas where Muslims tend to be very conservative as opposed to the more tolerant, educated and accepting Muslim populations that have been mentioned.

Yes they have and it is getting a lot worse unfortunately.

I agree with your general point.
That in the uk sikhs and hindus no longer have much forced marriages like before but percentage wise even amongst Muslims in 2025 its an extremely small percent.
Things have changed for the younger generation of Muslims as well.
I do however agree with the previous poster that back in the day atleast most forced marriages were from punjabi sikhs and hindus not muslims.

Why are people saying this?

Read the link, it’s not a mens race.

You not thinking it through, the CoE didn't change it's stance of it's own volition any more than the male dominated society changed the laws to protect women did. It was only changed because people protested, the laws of the land apply to everyone in the land, there are no exceptions for people come from other countries and culture. There is no value to laws if the people who come here can pick and choice which one's they follow.

In the same way that it's a women's changing room but boys under the age of x are allowed.

So women are allowed?

But 13 year old boys can race? It’s not an adult men’s race with all children under 12 allowed for childcare issues is it. It’s a family race excluding women and young women.

Are they not "our British men" and "our British women", then?

Agree 100%

But they don't abide by the rules of the land do they.
Their aim is for our land to follow their religion and rules.
Why do people not see that this is what has been happening slowly but surely for the last 20 years at least.

Back for another try?

I think the difference is that they are describing the race as a mass participation fun run for everyone, and they are only excluding women in the small print.

IANAL, and I would be interested to know what a lawyer thought of this, but if the event is a service, under the EA it is legal to provide a single sex service if any of the following conditions apply.

1. Only people of that sex need the service.

1. Providing the service jointly to both sexes would not be sufficiently effective.

Example: if women of a particular religion or belief will not use the local swimming pool at the same time as men, women-only swimming sessions could be provided as well as mainly-mixed sessions.

1. The level of need for the services makes it not reasonably practicable to provide separate services for each sex.

Example: a women-only support unit for women who have experienced domestic or sexual violence can be set up, even if there is no parallel men-only unit because of insufficient demand.

1. The service is provided at a hospital or other place, where users need special care, supervision or attention.

Example: single-sex wards in hospitals and nursing homes.

1. The service is likely to be used by more than one person at the same time and a woman might reasonably object to the presence of a man (or vice versa).

Example: separate male and female changing rooms.

1. A person might reasonably object to the service user being of the opposite sex because the service involves physical contact.

Potentially, the fun run comes under point 2? (eta, lost the number formatting when posted, but the second point)

Anyone can set up a single sex association with no need to justify the reason, but I don't think you can be said to be joining an association when you sign up for a fun run?

My bad I didn’t know they’d be changing in full public view as part of this race. Easy to see how the two things compare 🙄

It's a lot more in your face if you have been living e.g. in Luton for the past 30 years. Some of these things are suddenly becoming apparent to people living in naicer areas.

Precisely. I can’t wait for asylum hotels to open in Oxfordshire villages and to see Tim and Timothena still smiling about the idea of ‘diversity’

The park is a big park,you can run where you want.
There's always running events there.
It's not cordoned off to women.
You just obviously aren't apart of the charity race

Twice. Because it's what you actually think.

This is where I’m currently struggling. The line between freedom of expression and yet feeling deeply uncomfortable with seeing the women in ultra Orthodox Jewish communities or women wearing the Burka following several steps behind their husbands.

The discomfort stems from seeing an increasing number of women wearing ultra religious clothing year by year. And worrying about the direction of travel for women’s rights in the UK. But how to have these conversations and work through thoughts and emotions without feeling like some Stephen Yaxley supporter? I’d welcome thoughts from other FWR posters.

There’s freedom of expression and then active discrimination. Not all women wanted the vote either.

Well, they compete at the Olympics and most countries have designed special sporting uniforms which allow them to cover hair, arms and legs.

I hate the religious ideology which requires women cover up because of men’s lust. I don’t hate the women; I hate the ideology.

I think I it depends on 'what' the race is.

I was involved for race for life decades ago, and I remember it being women only (think that may have changed now though).

It was women only because it was great marketing. I think focused on breast cancer, and a good way to create a group of like-minded people and a bit of camaraderie. There was rules about boys under a certain age being allowed to participate with their mum as it was a 'family fun' event.

If this is something aimed at men's mental health or combatting toxic masculinity etc then I'm fine with them focusing on only have male participants.

If it's just a normal charity fun run and there's no reason to omit women then it's just plain up discrimination and should be challenged.@

Oh, sorry, three times. Of course, we are separate communities and shouldn't interfere with the apparently non-British Muslims. 🫠