ELM Policy Reviews

LBC, East London mosque that 'banned' girls over 12 from charity run 'reviewing its policies' after backlash, 16 Nov 2025 "A charity run that stopped women and girls over 12 from taking part is "reviewing its policies" after a backlash."

Mosque Run Controversy

Tower Hamlets mayor slammed for defending mosque's decision to ban women and girls over 12 from charity fun run www.lbc.co.uk/article/towe...

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— Gary R. Bunt (@garyrbunt.bsky.social) 15 October 2025 at 00:16

Gladiators

I didn't watch this myself, but it is an interesting article:

'Nothing we can't do': Gladiators' first hijabi contender aims to inspire

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— Gary R. Bunt (@garyrbunt.bsky.social) 4 April 2025 at 09:16

Muslim Women in Britain, 1850–1950

BBC News, Hidden histories of British Muslim women revealed, 27 Jan 2024 "A collection of remarkable and often hidden stories of Muslim women who helped shape the history of Britain have been revealed and documented in a new book." Muslim Women in Britain, 1850–1950: 100 Years of Hidden History, Edited by Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor and Jamie Gilham, London: Hurst, 2023

A Muslim Woman’s Faith Experience

Muslim Census Team, A Muslim Woman’s Faith Experience "Muslim Census conducted a study to understand the faith experiences of Muslim women living in the UK. A series of focus groups and a survey, which received 1,200 responses, were conducted as part of this study. Previously, limited comprehensive research existed that explored the challenges Muslim women face while navigating their faith in the UK."

Sisterhood FC

Hannah McKay, Reuters/Guardian,Sisterhood FC: football club for Muslim women breaks barriers – photo essay

I didn't see this photo-essay about Sisterhood FC when it originally came out earlier this month. "A female-only football club in London is giving Muslim women a chance to shine on the sports field. Buoyed by a surge in interest in women’s football after England’s Euro 2020 triumph, Sisterhood FC has grown to almost 100 players"

Skateboarding

"Lena, Maysa and Ameya took up the sport after seeing British Olympian Sky Brown's "flicks and tricks" during the pandemic."

'They'

BBC Radio 4, Sarfraz Manzoor, 'They'

Sarfraz Manzoor's 'They' was a Book of the Week on Radio 4. It's a worthwhile listen. There are some references to the influence of social media too (on episode 3), but I recommend the whole series.

COVID-19: Bradford Women in Bradford - report

Muslim Women's Council, The Impact of Covid-19 on Muslim Women In Bradford

"The Covid-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on our lives. Since the start of the lockdown in the UK in 2020, a national debate is constantly taking place amongst the political parties & public on how the pandemic has been controlled by the government. This has sparked local debates about the existing councils. This study looks at how the pandemic has affected the local communities and how the decisions that were made on a national level affected Muslim women in Bradford."

'We Are Lady Parts' review

Mona Eltahawy, Feminist Giant, Essay: Too Loud, Swears Too Much, Goes Too Far: The Emancipatory Power of We Are Lady Parts

"To have had a show like We Are Lady Parts while I was in my 20s and fighting off Niqabis on the Metro, the Brigade of Hijabis-Aren’t-Supposed-To-Watch-Wild-At-Heart, and the You’re-Making-Us-Look-Bad so-called friends, would have freed up so much of my cosmic energy, I might have truly taken over the world." This review was published in June, but I have only just come cross it.

Nazir Afzal

Not only some interesting insights into Nazir Afzal's career, but some decent music choices:

A very good Desert Island Discs with former Chief Crown Prosecutor for North West England @nazirafzal He chose some great songs as well! @BBCRadio4 pic.twitter.com/RI9PNX0KAK

— Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) August 1, 2021

Social Media and 'Honour' in Communities

Important conversation in the first hour of BBC Five Live's Naga Munchetty programme today on social media, cultural-religious sensitivities, gender and 'honour' issues in communities.

Muslim Women in the Fire Brigade

"You can't be what you can't see" - @SayeedaWarsi.

Despite opposition from within her own community, Uroosa Arshid achieved her dream to become a fire fighter and she's now hoping to inspire other young Muslim women to join the brigade. pic.twitter.com/hPLNDqSIdk

— Steph's Packed Lunch (@PackedLunchC4) May 17, 2021

'We Are Lady Parts'

iNews, Nida Manzoor on writing We Are Lady Parts: ‘Why is being honest so scary?’

"When Nida Manzoor set out to write We Are Lady Parts, a comedy about a Muslim female punk band, she had no idea of the responsibilities that would come with it."

Mayra Zulfiqar

Update:

Metro, Suspect in murder of British woman in Pakistan pictured

BBC News, Mayra Zulfiqar shooting: Men sought over killing of Londoner in Lahore

"Police in Pakistan are searching for two men following the fatal shooting of a British woman in Lahore."

Restricted Mosque Access for Women (?)

Mariam Khan, Opinion Piece, the i Newspaper, Mosques have becomes men’s clubs – if they don’t give women equal space to pray they should face consequences

"The conversation around this inequality is often silenced. I’ve been told not to voice my views about the lack of space for women because it will make Muslim men look bad. We’re often told that our criticism within the community will be taken by Islamophobes to further demonise Muslim men. This isn’t a lie – it does happen – but it also means that the Muslim patriarchy continues to control the narrative and nothing changes." I know many mosques have sought to address this long-standing issue, but there would seem to be some way to go for equality.

Woman's Hour Under Fire (updated)

Here are a series of posts relating to the Woman's Hour interview with Zara Mohammed:

Guardian, BBC under fire over 'strikingly hostile' interview of Muslim Council of Britain head

"Exclusive: 100 public figures sign letter criticising Radio 4 Woman’s Hour segment with Zara Mohammed.

Nesrine Malik, Opinion, The Guardian, There's a reason Muslim women struggle to make their voices heard

"It has become popular to claim that Islamophobia is a fiction to “shut down” debate. But the reality is that we have now been living in such a hostile environment that we are unable to create a clearing within which the things that we all care about – women’s rights, radicalisation, social and economic exclusion – are discussed without fear. With so many years of suspicion bearing down on every exchange, a conscious effort needs to be made to create that space, one in which conversations are longer, not optimised for viral social media buzz, and in which Muslims are playing a role behind the scenes so they can point out when content is inflammatory and editing unhelpful. If we want to talk about chilling effects on free discussions, let’s start here."

Fatima Rajina, Middle East Eye, BBC vs Zara Mohammed: An exercise in Islamophobia

"Interestingly, the clip that the BBC chose to share on social media was when Barnett asked Mohammed how many female imams there are in Britain. It was less about the question itself than the persistent and seemingly arrogant way in which it was asked - the undermining and condescending manner by which Barnett kept insisting on getting an answer, even interrupting her guest."

Sabah Hussain, Gal-Dem, Zara Mohammed can fight for women’s rights in British Muslim communities without Woman’s Hour

"If there was one thing that the recent Radio 4 Woman’s Hour interview of the first woman leader of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) set to achieve, it was to peddle the narrative that Muslim communities and organisations are exclusive, oppressive and unsafe for women. Of course, fighting for women’s rights and representation in British Muslim communities and institutions is important, but this wasn’t the way to go about it."

Shahed Ezaydi, Aurelia, The treatment of Zara Mohammed on Woman’s Hour was clickbait Islamophobia, plain and simple

"Many Muslim women will have seen their own experiences reflected in the way Barnett approached her questions to Zara. It’s yet another attempt by white women to paint and reassert Islam in its typical negative stereotype: a ‘backwards’ religion that just doesn’t care about women. It’s a stereotype as old as time. Islam is viewed as this violent and misogynistic religion, where women are treated badly and are living oppressed lives. And because of this, Muslim women couldn’t possibly be linked to feminism, let alone be leading feminists in their fields."

Online magazines and social media have effectively responded to (in my opinion) a poorly informed BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour interview with Zara Mohammed of MCB. The interviewer, Emma Barnett, has just started on Woman's Hour. I used to listen to her on Radio 5 Live, at a similar time slot. I now listen to Naga Munchetty, who is doing an excellent job at that time (Mondays to Wednesdays).

Let's hope that this is just a blip for Woman's Hour

[Woman's Hour podcasts] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb/episodes/downloads)

Million Women Rise

Photos/video put together by my 'other half' recording participants at Million Women Rise in March 2020. https://t.co/81OfzGQdPe

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) May 3, 2020

'The forgotten women who helped to build British Islam'

Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor, The Conversation, The forgotten women who helped to build British Islam "I used archive material linked to the two earliest British mosques to examine the everyday lives of women in these historical communities. This research presents a coherent and compelling narrative of women’s lives and roles as contributors and leaders of their communities."

UK Somalis 'racially profiled' over FGM

BBC News, UK Somalis 'racially profiled' over FGM "Parents are wrongly being arrested and having their children taken into care due to the stigma around female genital mutilation (FGM), members of the UK Somali community have told the Victoria Derbyshire programme. They say figures suggesting tens of thousands of girls are at risk in the UK are inaccurate."