Mosque Accused of Breaching Equality Act Over Charitable Event Rules

The East London Mosque, a UK-based charitable organization, has faced criticism over its rules for a charity fun run, which excluded women and girls over 12 years old from participating. The event, known as the Muslim Charity Run, was held in Victoria Park and attracted over a thousand runners. Organizers claimed that the event was "family-friendly" and "inclusive," but critics argue that the rules breached the Equality Act, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex.

The controversy centers around the rules that excluded women and girls over 12 from participating in the run, while allowing men and boys of all ages to participate. The organizers claimed that single-gender sporting events are lawful under Section 195 and Schedule 23 of the Act, citing examples such as the Women's Run Series and gender-segregated swimming sessions at Orthodox Jewish facilities. However, critics argue that the rules reinforce regressive sexist attitudes towards women's place in public life.

Key Takeaways:

• The East London Mosque's charity fun run excluded women and girls over 12 from participating, sparking criticism that the event breached the Equality Act.
• Baroness Gohir OBE, chief executive of the Muslim Women's Network UK, stated that the organizers were "likely" in breach of the Equality Act due to the exclusion of women.
• Kellie-Jay Keen, founder of feminist group Party Of Women, argued that banning women and girls over 12 from a public charity event is unlawful and reinforces regressive sexist attitudes.
• Some participants at the run criticized the rules, with analyst Ahmed Mohammed stating that women should have been allowed to take part and questioning the reasons behind the exclusion.
• The event was criticized on social media, with human rights campaigner Aisha AliKhan posting that it was "wrong" to ban women and girls over 12 from taking part.
• East London Mosque claimed that the exclusion was lawful under Section 195 and Schedule 23 of the Equality Act, citing examples of single-gender sporting events.

Statistics:

• Over a thousand runners participated in the Muslim Charity Run in Victoria Park.
• 13th year the event was held.
• The event was described as a "family-friendly" and "inclusive" event open to men, boys of all ages and girls under 12.
• 34 participants, including women, criticized the rules and argued that women and girls should have been allowed to take part.
• 94-year-old participant in the run.

Sources:

• "Muslim charity run 'breaches equality laws' over ban on women" by The Mail on Sunday, April 2023
• "East London Mosque 'clearly discriminated against women' in charity fun run" by The Times, April 2023
• "Muslim Charity Run: Women and girls over 12 barred from event" by BBC News, April 2023
• "Equality Act 2010" by The UK Government, 2010