Labour minister criticises ban on women and teenage girls taking part in London mosque charity fun run

A senior Labour cabinet minister has criticised a mosque for banning women and girls over the age of 12 from participating in a charity fun run.

Housing secretary Steve Reed said the controversial entry requirements were “inappropriate” and that it was wrong that woman were barred from an activity that men were allowed to participate in.

Organised by the East London Mosque, the annual event saw more than a thousand runners participate in Victoria Park on Sunday. Despite the event being described as “family friendly” and “inclusive”, the participation was only open to men, boys of all ages and girls under the age of 12.

The Muslim Charity Run faces accusations that it has breached the Equality Act, which it vehemently denies.

Asked about the matter on Sky News, Mr Reed said: “I saw the reports and it just sounds inappropriate to me.

“We should not be banning women from taking part in fun runs in public parks in this country. I don’t fully understand whether it did or didn’t break the law, that would be for others to look at, but it sounds absolutely wrong to me.”

When asked if action could be taken against the mosque, Mr Reed responded: “We have an equalities watchdog and I’m sure they’ll be looking at this case, and if there are problems with the way the mosque has acted, you expect there will be an intervention.

“You can’t have women being barred from doing things in public that men are able to do. That strikes me as absolutely wrong, and it certainly isn’t in line with the expectations British people would have.”

The chief executive of the Muslim Women’s Network UK, Shaista Gohir, said that the organisers were “likely” to have been in breach of the Equality Act in deciding to exclude women.

Human rights campaigner Aisha Ali-Khan also wrote on social media: “It’s wrong for the East London Mosque to ban women and girls over 12 years old from taking part in their annual park run. Being healthy and fit is a big part of Islam for all Muslims, not just the men!”

East London Mosque denied claims that the event had breached equality legislation, with a spokesperson telling The Times: “The suggestion that our event breaches the Equality Act is entirely incorrect.

“Single-gender sporting events are lawful under Section 195 and Schedule 23 of the act, and are common across the UK, including the Women’s Run Series, Nike Women’s 10K, and gender-segregated swimming sessions at Orthodox Jewish facilities like Manchester Jewish Community Centre.

“The Muslim Charity Run operates under the same legal framework as these established events.”