I was really quite surprised to find that many mosques in UKm don't allow women in to pray or use the facilities at all. It also appeared from what they were saying that there are no women at all on any of the boards that run mosques.

There's now a group of Muslim women and men going around the country trying to gain access for women to pray in local mosques. They didn't really appear to be having a lot of success on their mission and, in fact, it looked that a riot nearly took place everywhere they tried to get in.

Obviously that impression can be given by the editing I know, but it appears there's a long row to hoe before many women will be able to get into their local mosque just to be able to pray.

I wonder if any female muslims in Sheffield are having this problem as well?

Why are you surprised at this?

I know every religion has their own values ... that i do respect, but that ... its unbelievable in this day and age isnt it

It did show that all muslim women are not downtrodden though.
It was amusing to see how shocked they all were when the leader of the women had a go at them.
But it makes me wonder what the reaction would be, if the cameras had not been there.
Also what those womens lifespans will be, now that they have stood up to the Muslim establishment?

Its not really surprising to see how the women are treated in muslim circles but I have to admire those womens courage in trying to break down long held attitudes.
The MCB didn't seem too helpful and to be honest I think it will be many yrs if ever that women are given due respect and equal rights in their society.

I was kinda learning about this from a muslim friend, i asked her if she went to a mosque and she said no women aren't supposed to go because even though they are in seperate rooms the services end at the same time. She didn't seem to fussed about it though to be honest. She did say that some women still go though.

I was kinda learning about this from a muslim friend, i asked her if she went to a mosque and she said no women aren't supposed to go because even though they are in seperate rooms the services end at the same time. She didn't seem to fussed about it though to be honest. She did say that some women still go though.

The more I learn about Islam as it's actually practised (not as it's meant to be according to the Koran), especially the low opinions they have about us as women, what we should and shouldn't do, and yet the men can do as they please and the warped ideas and attitudes they promulgate about relationships between men and women, the more dismayed I get.

I honestly was happier when I knew nothing about it!

One of the old men that was saying that women can't be on the boards as they aren't capable of organising anything ... you have to laugh, like who organises the household and all the kids! Especially, as these so called calm capable men were all milling about in the background, getting all het up and practically starting a riot :D

Although, I was reminded a bit of the blokes at the local WMC's getting all upset when women wanted to be full members and not just limited to serving pints and making the sarnies :hihi: They're all brothers under the skin as the saying goes

I was more suprised that this program was being shown when questions about Muslims are so much in everyone's minds.
I wouldn't be in the least suprised to see the channel getting a back lash for portraying Muslims in a non positive way.
I found the program very interesting as it answered some of my questions and as and when that nice new big mosque at heeley opens it's doors I'll be interested to see who goes in.

<snippity>Although, I was reminded a bit of the blokes at the local WMC's getting all upset when women wanted to be full members and not just limited to serving pints and making the sarnies :hihi: They're all brothers under the skin as the saying goes

even in recent years, women who go to the working men's clubs of a sunday lunchtime STILL get jeered at and called "pudding-burners" by the "menfolk"!

I found the program very interesting as it answered some of my questions and as and when that nice new big mosque at heeley opens its doors I'll be interested to see who goes in.

That's a point - although we've been told previously that anyone at all can use that place, even non muslims, so they can hardly keep the muslim women out. It's massive anyway, they've probably got two prayer rooms in there.

the sufi mosque, that was on vincent road had a sort of screen thingie, that made an area for the ladies to go in, so they could pray in priivacy.

women were positively encouraged to be part of the worship there. especially during ramadan.

even in recent years, women who go to the working men's clubs of a sunday lunchtime STILL get jeered at and called "pudding-burners" by the "menfolk"!

Wouldn't know, not been in one for twenty odd years ...

anyway - you shouldn't know anything about what goes on in places like that :o

Of course she should, as all good muslims she needs to experience it, to know its wrong. Besides which WMC's are so behind the times, she's actually right about them.....thats why so many are extinct. You can only wonder where the 'old' committee men now hang out these days, then again looking at some of the threads and peoples comments on here, perhaps its not so much a mystery ;)

I watched this program and although some mosques were showing blatant sexism against the women, it wasn't all of them. The second mosque they went to gladly let them in, and the narrator said that 60% of mosques don't allow women to enter. I admired the guts of the women, especially in the face of the hostility they experienced at some of the mosques.

Did anyone watch this excellent Dispatches programmes on Channel 4 last night?

From C4 website

"There are around 1,600 mosques in Britain. Well over half do not allow women access to worship and hardly any allow women a say on how the mosques are managed and run. Journalist Tazeen Ahmad follows a group of young Muslim women who are waging a determined campaign to force these mosques to open up. She also investigates the recent Muslim scarf/veil controversies and speaks to some of the young women who choose to wear them"

I found the women featured on the programme passionate, assertive and endearing, and a credit to themselves and their religion.

Unfortunately, the programme also reinforced my belief that Islam is a disgracefully patriarchal organisation, with appalingly entrenched ideologies of male superiority. Indeed, I would go as far to say that these beliefs almost seem pre Quranic, and as such, the teachings and philosophy of the holy book are being superseded by a more powerful cultural notion.

I unfortunately only caught the last 15 minutes of this, but what I saw was eye opening. I found it awful that women are being denied the right to pray in their own holy buildings. Hopefully C4 will repeat so I can watch the whole thing.

the sufi mosque, that was on vincent road
Was? Has it gone? :( (or closed)

Yes, they had a corner in the main prayer room partioned off so the sermon etc could still be heard but so that the womenfolk were unseen by the men in case they distracted them in their holy concentration
.

Is it just muslims though? I've been reading a book about Judasism and Kaballah (not the modern celebrity rubbish) and the women are treated in a similar way there.

Can anyone (i.e. me in my H&M threads) just walk off the street into a Mosque, or do you need permission?

Is it just muslims though? I've been reading a book about Judasism and Kaballah (not the modern celebrity rubbish) and the women are treated in a similar way there.

In a synagogue the norm *is* for the women to have a gallery where they are seperate from the men, yes,

And in orthodox Judaism, the woman wears a head covering, too, in the form of (usually) a scarf or a wig, called a "Scheitl"

Is the SF bot having a larf, moving this to entertainment chat?

How disrespectful to a religious discussion .. even though only one muslim appears to be contributing. The rest of us are presumably speaking from a position of ignorance of the facts locally, which is what I was actually seeking information on.

I'm now going to report this post and try to get it moved back to general discussion.

Is the SF bot having a larf, moving this to entertainment chat?

How disrespectful to a religious discussion .. even though only one muslim appears to be contributing. The rest of us are presumably speaking from a position of ignorance of the facts locally, which is what I was actually seeking information on.

I'm now going to report this post and try to get it moved back to general discussion.

It was moved because it was with regard to a TV programme.

The discussion here needn't be disrespectful - that's purely an issue for the participants rather than where the thread lives on here.