A female leader at a British mosque accused of excluding women from a charity run has said women in the community have a voice and do not “need saving” by critics who lack an understanding of Muslim values.
East London Mosque, in Tower Hamlets, found itself at the centre of a media firestorm and received dozens of hate mail messages after staging the Muslim Charity Run, open to “men, boys of all ages and girls under 12”. The communities secretary, Steve Reed, later said he was “horrified”.
The mosque said female attenders preferred to enter “women only” events, but on this occasion demand was too low to hold one.
It said the biggest issue facing Muslim women in the community was hate crime, which had intensified against the mosque since the run was reported.
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