Thank you but feminism doesn’t need that kind of help.
A self-styled battalion of the far-right group Britain First has “invaded” a mosque in south London.
The stated aim of the altercation on Sunday was to “demand the removal of sexist signs” outside the Crayford Mosque.
The signs designate separate entrances for men and women, so they can enter for segregated worship as is the custom in most mosques, as well as Orthodox Jewish synagogues and Sikh gurdwaras.
A film of the encounter was posted on Facebook, set to dramatic drumming music and ending with the slogan: “Britain First Defence Force. No fear. No retreat. No surrender.”
All sporting matching black flatcaps, the group of five “activists” marched into the mosque and asked to speak to the imam, before quickly giving up and speaking to the first person they came across.
No no no no no, really. We’ve got this. Go away. Go all the way away, and when you’re there, cast about for a better hobby.
The leader, Paul Golding, announced: “We’re Britain First, yeah? We object to your signs that are outside, the signs for men and women… in this country we have equality.”
The man politely asked them to remove their shoes in a place of worship but the Britain First members ignored him.
“When you respect women we’ll respect your mosques and you’ve got signs out there that segregate men and women,” Mr Golding told him.
A female member of the group accused Muslims of taking equality back “a hundred years” and told him to take the signs down.
No. Just no. Go back to Kent; go inside; sit down and take some deep breaths. Keep doing that for 20 or 30 years.
How do these BraveFighters always go to the mosque when the only person there is a tiny, old man?
Is that a coincidence?
This is rather obnoxious especially for such a confrontational approach having such a small goal. Islam is monstrously backwards in so many ways and they barge into a mosque to ask for removal of entry signs?
“I dunno – I just sweep up here.”
“YOU’VE GOT SEGREGATION SIGNS!!”
“Yeah, I know – that’s just the rules of the mosque. I don’t have anything to do with that.”
“WE STRENUOUSLY OBJECT!!”
“um…yeah, I can see that – why don’t you call ahead and make an appointment with someone with some sort of position of authority, so you don’t waste any more trips down here for nothing?”
BraveFighters turn to leave “We sure told HIM off! Yeah!!!” high fives all around
Mosque janitor scratches his head, shakes his head, continues sweeping up “The World Cup must be over.”
Great. Wannabe brown shirts pretending they give a shit about equality. Just what we need.
I’m pretty sure it’s changed now, but my primary school had segregated entrances, segregated cloakrooms, etc. Most of the classes weren’t segregated, but PE was (and while I can maybe see arguments for this in later years, this was pre-puberty, is there really a difference at that age in sporting ability?). This was about 20 years ago. Seems to me that isn’t taking equality back 100 years in the UK.
I’m also kinda curious if they’re actually in favour of gender equality, or if they’re just pissed off by people being more open about their sexism? I’ve never seen feminism work alongside far right-style xenophobia before, but maybe they manage it? I doubt it, but stranger things have happened.
Why aren’t those equality-lovin’ guys at home raising their kids or working in the kiddie-centre? Why weren’t there enough women in the gang to send an all-women (snicker) ~strike force~? Who made the sandwiches when they all went home, flushed with victory?
Speaking of “flushed” — who puts the seat down?
Maybe someone told them gender segregation in Islam is just like racial segregation in the American South so they feel perfectly vindicated.
That’s cute, Pen. Is that meant for me? Because I have talked about the two together in order to point out the similarity of the underlying ideas? (I don’t think I have ever said that “gender segregation in Islam is just like racial segregation in the American South.”)
Cute, if so, but as usual with you on this subject, bullshit. Your implication seems to be that logically I should approve of what this “battalion” did. That’s bullshit.
And for about the fourth time now, stop with the drive-by comments. Either discuss – which means answering when people answer you – or go away. Don’t keep defecating one snotty comment and then ignoring all responses. Don’t troll.