Labour minister Steve Reed criticises ban on women and teenage girls taking part in London mosque charity fun run
A senior Labor Cabinet minister has criticized a mosque for banning women and girls over the age of 12 from taking part in a charity fun run.
Housing secretary Steve Reed said the controversial entry requirements were “inappropriate” and it was wrong to ban women from an activity in which men were allowed to participate.
More than a thousand runners took part in the annual event organized by the East London Mosque in Victoria Park on Sunday. Although the event was described as “family friendly” and “inclusive,” participation was open to men only, boys of all ages, and girls under 12.
The Muslim Charity Run faces accusations that it violated the Equality Act, which it vehemently denies.
Asked about the matter on Sky News, Mr Reed said: “I have seen the reports and it seems inappropriate to me.
“We shouldn’t be banning women from taking part in fun runs in public parks in this country. I don’t quite understand whether that’s breaking the law or not, others can look at that, but it just seems wrong to me.”
Asked whether action could be taken against the mosque, Mr Reed said: “We have an equality watchdog and I’m sure they will look at this case and if there are issues with the way the mosque is behaving you would expect there to be some intervention.
“You can’t allow women to be prevented from doing things in public that men can do. That strikes me as absolutely wrong and certainly not in line with the expectations of the British public.”
Shaista Gohir, chief executive of the UK Muslim Women’s Network, said organizers had “probably” breached the Equality Act in deciding to exclude women.
Human rights campaigner Aisha Ali-Khan also wrote on social media: “It is wrong for the East London Mosque to ban women and girls over 12 from taking part in the annual parkrun. Being healthy and fit is a big part of Islam, not just for men, but for all Muslims!”
A spokesman for the East London Mosque denied claims that the event breached equality legislation. Times: “The claim that our event breached the Equality Act is completely false.
“Single-gender sporting events are legal under Section 195 and Schedule 23 of the act and are common across the UK, including the Women’s Running Series, the Nike Women’s 10K and gender-segregated swimming sessions at Orthodox Jewish venues such as the Manchester Jewish Community Centre.
“The Muslim Charity Run operates under the same legal framework as these established events.”
