STORY
Communities Secretary Steve Reed has launched a strong condemnation of a charity run organised by the East London Mosque and the London Muslim Centre in Victoria Park, accusing the event of violating basic principles of equality. The controversy erupted after it emerged that participation was restricted to men, boys of all ages and girls under 12, explicitly excluding women and older girls.
On LBC radio, Reed described the exclusion as “absolutely unacceptable,” saying he was “horrified” by reports that women were barred from taking part in an event held in a public space. He called for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to investigate whether the run breached the law, warning that such discriminatory practices must not be tolerated.
The East London Mosque refused to apologise in a statement to the press, but stated:
“The Muslim Charity Run is one of many initiatives that promote health, wellbeing and charitable giving across our community.”