I heard it's on FaceBook.

I am really disappointed that she went to the newspapers. I have a feeling she was driven to the newspapers by people with an agenda of their own.

First of all, I'd like to know the full details - was her application refused on a technicality, e.g. missing surname, or was it because she's a woman. Generally women don't apply to become members, but the last membership list did contain women.

The next question is - does one go straight to the newspapers every time one feels aggrieved? The women's lib movement mentioned are using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Couldn't she:

1. Obtain clarification from the Mosque Staff
2. Obtain clarification from the Mosque President
3. Obtain clarification from the Mosque Property Trustees
4. Obtain clarification from any of the above through a connected third party

The Constitution of the Mosque is clear in that women may become members.

The problem is that every man and his dog who works or hangs around in the Mosque thinks he's boss for the day.

As I mentioned before, there is a method for escalating grievances - such procedures exist in the universities and offices that we all work in, so why go to the papers in the case of a Mosque.

The article talks about suffragettes as if women are fighting for an entitlement, whereas the entitlement already exists.

I don't represent the Mosque. I represent the movement for common sense - we don't have many members.

The problem lies in separating theory from practice.

In theory, only employees/volunteers of the Mosque sit behind the desk in the Office, and all employees/volunteers are well-versed in the Constitution and Charity Law.

Maybe you haven't been to the Office, but I have. Any person can sit in the chair and give seemingly authoritative answers to questions/requests. The comments of most posters in this thread are assuming that women's lib spoke to an employee of the Mosque, and I'm not even going to argue on that point because it may be that you are correct.

My original objection was that this is a Mosque, not a social club or a company. If this had been women's lib's local bingo hall, the newspapers would never have published that article. Anything to do with Muslims or Mosques is dynamite, and this kind of article propagates the misconception that Muslim women are oppressed. As I said before, there are proper channels to explore before going to the Charity Commission and the Media. Why not go to the Charity Commission and leave the Media out of it? What purpose does the Media serve in this case?

I wonder if women's lib even knew that in theory a Mosque can refuse applications from women:

"Not-for-profit organisations are permitted to restrict their membership to people of one sex, and can provide benefits, facilities and services to those members."

Luckily for women's lib, it turns out that the Mosque's Constitution prohibits discrimination, but women's lib isn't quoted in the article as knowing that, although the writer does mention it.

The Mosque potentially fits three of the equality exception categories. What is a charity or voluntary organisation? It is also a not-for-profit organisation because surplus funds are not distributed to members. A lot of these definitions overlap.

However, it doesn't look like women's lib checked any of:

• Equality Law
• Charity Law
• Mosque Constitution

She got away with it, but not because she checked the facts.

I like to keep my ears and nose close to the ground. Knowing the issues that are affecting us is better than sitting at home watching Eastenders.

I've been at the receiving end of the man who was boss for the day. I'm trying to do something about it. I suggest that you do too. If you send me a letter through the Contact Page, I'll print it and hand-deliver it to the Masjid.