Charity Commission sparks fury by refusing to take action against Muslim group which banned women and girls from taking part in charity fun run
The charity watchdog has sparked fury by refusing to take action against a Muslim charity that banned women and girls over the age of 12 from taking part in a fun run.
The Charity Commission will not investigate the East London Mosque Trust as it claims there is 'no evidence' that the charity is not operating for the 'public benefit'.
The 5km Muslim Charity Run held in East London last month was billed as 'inclusive' and 'family-friendly', but organisers prevented teenage girls and women from taking part.
Women's rights campaigners slammed the ban as 'regressively sexist' after it was exposed by The Mail on Sunday and accused the organisers of being more 'conservative' than Saudi Arabia.
The Conservatives wrote to the charity watchdog last month to demand an investigation into whether 'such a public event is compatible with charity law and the stated purposes of this charity'.
The letter, from Tory chair Kevin Hollinrake, shadow equalities minister Claire Coutinho and shadow women's minister Mims Davies, said: 'The banning of women and older girls is direct sex and age discrimination. It is blatant segregation, and marginalisation of women by men.'
David Holdsworth, the chief executive of the Charity Commission, responded on Tuesday, refusing the request for an investigation in a letter seen by the Daily Mail.
He wrote: 'Given the concerns you have raised, and our duty to increase public trust and confidence in charity, the Commission has in parallel considered whether the organisation of this event might be sufficient to indicate that the charity is not continuing to deliver its charitable objects for the public benefit.'
Women and girls over the age of 12 were banned by the East London Mosque from taking part in the Muslim Charity Run, The Mail on Sunday revealed last month
Women's rights campaigners slammed the ban by East London Mosque (pictured) as 'regressively sexist' and accused the organisers of being more 'conservative' than Saudi Arabia
Runners take part in the Muslim Charity Run in Victoria Park, east London, in this year's event
But the letter adds: 'At this stage, we have no evidence of a pattern of failures that would be required to meet such a test.'
On Wednesday, Mr Hollinrake described the watchdog's refusal to investigate as 'disappointing' and said the public would have expected a 'more robust response'.
'This case carries serious implications for public trust in the East London Mosque Trust and it is difficult to understand why the Commission has not taken a firmer position,' he said.
'The public rightly expects the regulator to act decisively when important concerns like these are raised.'
The fun run, originally named Run 4 Your Mosque, has taken place since 2012 and the latest fundraiser was held in Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, on October 12.
The letter from the Commission also notes that it previously launched a regulatory inquiry into the East London Mosque Trust 'over concerns about poor financial management', but adds that the watchdog only gave the charity an official warning over this.
Mr Hollinrake said: 'Given that the charity was issued with an official warning earlier this year over poor financial management, we would have hoped for a more robust response rather than a wait-and-see approach.'
Mr Holdsworth's letter also notes that the Equality and Human Rights Commission had said it was looking into the fun run but has already decided it would be taking no further action.
It adds that the charity watchdog is 'seeking more details from the EHRC' and that depending on this 'there may be a role for the Commission in assessing the charity's compliance with any directions from the EHRC'.
A Charity Commission spokesman said: 'The Commission regulates against the charity law framework. We have assessed the concerns raised about East London Mosque Trust against that framework and determined that the charity's event did not amount to a breach of trustees' duties, noting that Parliament specifically included an exemption in equalities law to allow events supporting or promoting a charity to be restricted to one sex only.
'However, we are seeking further details from the EHRC about its own decision, so that we can consider whether there may be a role for the Commission in assessing the charity's compliance with any directions from the EHRC.'
Meanwhile the East London Mosque has insisted that their policy was not in contravention of the Equality Act, which makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of sex. A spokesman added that the event 'operates under the same legal framework' as events such as the Women's Run Series.
