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

[Imdunfer]

This huge Muslim Festival, 50,000 attendees from 100 countries, happened over the weekend in Hampshire. If previous years are anything to go by you will be hard put to find a single woman in any of the photographs. That's because the men and the women meet separately. The women and men are segregated. The women are excluded from taking part with the men, they have a separate conference, they aren't even sat at the back of the men's one.

I honestly never thought I'd be living in a country where women were so excluded from a public gathering of 50,000 people.

I never thought I'd be living in a country where this event will go without criticism and probably actually be praised and celebrated. "MPs, bishops and other public figures are expected to attend." and not one of them, and probably no other prominent public figure either, will comment on this segregation.

It's 2026, how on earth is this country going backwards so far in the treatment of women that this is now perceived to be mainstream and acceptable?

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/25/uk-largest-muslim-event-jalsa-salana-security-anti-muslim-hate-crime#:~:text=Now%20in%20its%2060th%20year,site%20in%20Hampshire%20this%20weekend.

21,000 women seem to be OK with the arrangements.

It was not. The women's conference was separate.

I'm not anti Islam. I'm anti all methods of organising society that oppress women.

I'll do it now, for her.

Women should be involved in the Christian church (as indeed they are in many denominations).

Islam teaches that women are lesser. This is the entire s*dding issue. Stop pretending it's about race.

Almost every one of them brought up from birth to accept being second class citizens.

The Significance of Gender Segregation at Jalsa Salana – Voice of British Muslim Women https://share.google/fkKBmpiBZEPsyYLjU

It sounds more like having a go at Islam. Women aren't actually being excluded from this event nor are they forced to attend either.

Every feminist on the planet should be 'having a go' at Islam.
Although you call it 'having a go' or 'rage bait', and the feminists call it 'pointing out how badly it mistreats women'.

There are plenty of other religions that also regard women as lesser. But it's always Islam that gets the attention.

An alternative resource for you.

https://www.mwnuk.co.uk/

They ARE being excluded from the men's conference.

It's the only big one (that I know of) which isn't just a religion but the whole legal basis for the society and entire countries.

It gets attention in proportion to its influence.

Those other religions - and the religions themselves don't regard women as lesser, but have been applied/adminstered by patriarchal societies in previous years - are now rectifying themselves.

Islam is the one that in 2026 is not only sticking to its anti-women rhetoric but advocating/pushing it as loudly as it can.

For the record, if this was 1500, I'd be as vocal about Christianity as I am now about Islam.

As a Christian feminist who also knows a lot of Muslim women (ie I see the affect it has on their lives), Islam dismays me.

I don't see a problem with members of a religion holding a conference in lines with the teaching of their religion.

I see a massive problem if any criticism of their religion, because it it is misogynist, homophobic, and encourages violence, is not permitted because it is inciting 'hatred'.

I also see a massive problem if an organisation which promotes fundamentalist interpretations of this religion, and supports terrorism against the West, and which is banned in many countries, is allowed to operate in the UK.

I see a massive problem if members of this community are allowed to repeatedly marry their cousins, which increases the risk of severe congenital abnormalities in their children, but fight any suggestion of banning it as an attack on their 'culture'.

I see a massive problem with members of this religion threatening people who 'disrespect' their holy book, including making death threats against a child, without any sanction.

I see a massive problem with members of this religion threatening to riot because they don't like a football team, and rather than ensuring sufficient force is available to enforce the law, the football match is cancelled.

I see a massive problem with women from the community being allowed to take part in any kind of public life while covered head to toe in a shroud.

I see a massive problem with MPs manufacturing a non-existent terrorist plot against this community, while failing to address the huge and real ongoing terrorism committed by this community.

I see loads and loads of problems with this religious community.
But a men only religious conference, meh.

I don’t have a problem with them having their own spaces as I believe in women only spaces.

As do I. But they have to be 'equal' spaces, eg not 'the mosque' and 'out the back of the mosque tucked out the way'.

So would you be happy with Parliament being split on the same lines? Because in a religion that controls entire countries, that's what you're talking about. Oh, and only the men's side can make any laws.

I hope you are equally outraged at the Catholic Church and not allowing female priests. And do you get your knickers in a twist about The Gathering - i used to live near swindon and this is only men. Or is it just Muslim events you don't like.

They are literally on the same grounds. Running side by side, with some mixing.

When you're this outraged that the Cardinals are all men, you will have a point about patriarchal religions. Until then, it's just rage bait

The Ahmadis are a peace loving branch of Islam. They are nothing like the Salafis, Muslim brotherhood etc

There's a video of the women's conference but needs translation, haven't got time to figure out how to do it right now but am interested to hear their voices.

https://www.youtube.com/live/M_l6xzxbC20?is=jfKd1MDJVMqCe7bT

As well as the Catholic church as I've already mentioned what about Orthodox Judaism, where women and men sit separately at worship and women have dress codes? Ever spoken up against that, OP? The Plymouth Brethren where women aren't allowed to speak at worship and also have dress codes (headscarves, for instance)?

They have two completely separate sets of speakers and presentations. They are at the same time, they are not the same conference.

The Catholic church does not have the influence that Islam does. Catholicism is just a religion. Islam is a way of managing whole societies and countries.

https://www.youtube.com/live/M_l6xzxbC20?is=ZDq2rOCvAA1OyzfP
Not sure why previous link wasn't live.

Yes, several examples in London and Yorkshire

The Catholic church does not have the influence that Islam does.

Seriously?????

Go watch the film Spotlight and say that again.

OP in the real world people are sick of these Islamic events and being told to have tolerance for a terrible religion. Who the fuck worships someone who geta married to children fgs!
but here on Mumsnet you are instantly a racist 🙄.
Hopefully it will all stop in a few years when a government with a better backbone will be brought in.