Muslim charity run

[Thomasina79]

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

Is anyone interested in an advocacy group for moderate people concerned about Islamism in the UK? Does one exist? A group which has zero tolerance for racism proper (aka derogatory words, assumptions based on skin colour etc) but that is factual and logical regarding concerns around Islamism?

No. You used it in reference to me. It has been clear to you from our interactions that I not a Muslim woman.

Which is another good reason to vote this lot out in four years’ time.

Many of them will but it is a way of finding people to run with - for example I have belonged to a number of women's running groups over the past years. We can run together and feel safe after dark - the men don't have this worry. We can also chat online about things like running on your period - not a conversation I'd want to have with the guys at parkrun - or where to buy a sportsbra robust enough to contain breastfeeding boobs etc. Muslim runners are entitled to their own group where they can talk about where to buy modest running clothes/how to train during Ramadan in the same way as there is a Vegan Runners group that presumably discusses how to fuel your run and get enough protein afterwards and the best cafe for a vegan to eat after a rce in location X.

Also parkrun is quite limiting in many ways - eg if work or caring responsibilities mean that you can't run at 9am on a Saturday/ you want to run further due to training for a longer race etc etc.

Actually you’re mistaken to think now is just the same as hundreds of years of history. For those hundreds of years other cultures have been a tiny minority and laws have existed to protect the dominance of British culture in the form of Christianity. We now have a much larger group who have no incentive to integrate or understand and accept the prioritisation of the existing culture.

At last we can talk about this without being accused of various crimes. I volunteered last month at the Big Half in London. A half marathon run. Lots of ladies running in traditional dress. It was an incredibly hot day. But they run and succeeded which I thought was great.
we need to stop this misogamy in the U.K. I’ve run for years and have never been abused, shouted at etc. yes white men can be abusive. But we don’t tolerate that. Yet people seem happy with this run excluding 50% of the population in the U.K. in 2025. Give it another 50 years and all women will not be running.

I saw that this race was supported by the London Marathon Foundation so I have just emailed them to object. - [email protected]

My text in case anyone feels like doing the same and finds it helpful - please don't just cut and paste though...

Dear Sir/Madam

I am contacting you as I was concerned to see that you were a sponsor of the Muslim Charity Run in Victoria Park. This is a race that is almost certainly in breach of the Equality Act as it excludes women and girls aged 12 and upwards but allows men and boys of any age to participate. This might not have been made clear to you when funding requests were submitted as the run touts itself on its website as an event for all the family - specifically describing itself as a "flagship 5K charity run, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds to raise funds for great causes. But the day offers so much more. With family-friendly activities, a buzzing community atmosphere, and a focus on well-being and togetherness, this is an event where everyone belongs". However the entry criteria restrict the ability of women and girls to enter the run, stating "This is open to men, boys of all ages and girls under 12, but everyone is welcome at the park to cheer on the runners."

Women's participation in sport is well known to be much lower than men's for a number of reasons and running in recent years has become one of the more female friendly sports as it can be undertaken at anytime and anywhere (meaning that issues around domestic caring responsibilities which often prevent women from taking part in organised sport do not preclude women from running.) Many advances have been made in developing culturally appropriate running clothing for women whose cultural and/or religious backgrounds rule out more traditional athletic attire. It seems a very retrograde step therefore for the Foundation to support an organised event that imposes obstacles to female participation in sport in such a specific manner.

I would be grateful to understand on what basis the Foundation felt it was appropriate to support an event that directly discriminates against women and girls rather than working with an organisation like Muslim Runners to promote the inclusion of Muslim women and girls in our sport.

👍

I hope loads of women register as males and turn up identifying as a man.

But there is no need to find a vegan running group, this continued siloing of groups is destructive.

I am vegan, I would never even contemplate the need for a vegan running group! I would eat where the majority are (knowing I was in the minority and find something to eat for me or eat at home). If I only mixed with vegans I would become more and more radicalised in my view of veganism as I would constantly only hear my own perspective reflected back at me.

Over 12

Exactly - so British culture - whatever you think that isa has survived all of those waves of immigration. Why are you worried now?

Are you saying though that you wouldn’t welcome going to a vegan restaurant, or wouldn’t buy a vegan cookbook or join a vegan recipe group on Facebook etc? Of course people with shared interests or experiences seek each other out. And when people share a religious belief or a heritage (good or bad) then of course they look for others. The Muslim Runners group that was linked is open to anyone, not just Muslims.

Because to date the government has enacted laws specifically protecting that culture, in this case Christianity from attack. Thiose laws are gone now. Now the law and media institutions like the BBC and education are more focused on protecting the incoming culture and demonising the existing culture. Surely you can see that?

It's disgraceful. I don't know how anyone can defend it.
I don't like any groups divided by ethnic or religious persuasion and this goes even further, banning females over 12. How can this ever be right?

Don’t be silly. Not everything is about ‘Muslims’. Yes, people are concerned about large numbers of men coming here from countries where they treat the women there badly, reflected in the way they speak to women and young girls when they’re out and about, in a way that suggests it’s normal for them to treat women in a derogatory manner. Thats not ‘anti Muslim’. It’s about saying we don’t want people like that living amongst us. We’ve fought for years for our right to be treated as equals, yet our government seems to be happy to allow men to come here, with a mindset that is trying to erode that, and who are trying to knock us back down. How long before women are told not to call these men out on this for the good of ‘multi culturism’.

Which laws are gone?

I very rarely eat in a vegan restaurant, I last ate in a fully vegan restaurant in spring 2024 in NY as it was a highly recommended restaurant. I would rather sit with my friends and family and mix with them. I feel no need to mix only with vegans or use my own philosophy to restrict a private choice like what to eat. Within western society restaurants typically serve a mixture of foods. I’m more than happy to go with the social norms and mix with a variety of people. Why would I only want to mix with Vegans? How utterly bizarre..

Buying a vegan cookery book is distinctly different thing. This is something I would use for me in the privacy of my own home and would have no bearing on others. If people cane for dinner who are meat I would probably cook them a spaghetti Bol or roast dinner or something

https://www.veganrunners.org.uk

What laws protecting Christianity have ‘gone’?

The multitude of laws regarding the place of Christianity in people’s lives and state.

Yep. And I actually would like to see women just turning up in running gear. Would be interested to see what means these men would use to stop them running. I’m assuming they wouldn’t be able to stop them without physical force, but I’m sure that wouldn’t be beyond them, as DV is rife in their culture.

https://www.christianrunners.co.uk

Like what?

I agree that there is no need to find a vegan group but if you want to why not? More to the point certain groups are under represented so if it helps to have a group that can encourage more of their community to participate then why not. If a Muslim girl finds herself pretty well the only one in her community running then having a group of people like her to encourage her to take the first steps/continue is no bad thing. Big races can feel a bit intimidating for newbie runners so again knowing that there are a couple of people like you on the start line means you're more likely to sign up/turn up and then book another one.