This is Britain, not Afghanistan

Another worrying symbol of our decline --and how to fight back

---

Matt Goodwin’s newsletter goes to 86,900 subscribers from 181 countries. Like our stuff? Then become a paying supporter. Help us while gaining access to exclusive posts, the archive, events, discounts, comments and support independent writers making a difference. Join us on YouTube, Insta, TikTok, X and Facebook

---

Here’s something shocking you might have missed.

At a Muslim charity fun run, held in the heart of London, last weekend, women and girls over the age of 12 years old were excluded from participating.

That’s right.

While the run, organised by East London Mosque, was advertised as “inclusive” and “family friendly”, it was restricted to “men, boys of all ages and girls under 12”.

It was, in other words, a fully segregated event.

Unsurprisingly, many people see this as a symbol of the creeping influence of Islam in British society, and evidence that Islam cannot integrate into Western societies.

Even Labour Ministers, who have repeatedly enabled this kind of segregation, have declared they are “horrified” and “appalled” by this “unacceptable” behaviour.

And people are right to feel concerned.

As I pointed out in a video this week, we live in a country that believes in the rights of women, believes in the rights of the individual, believes in equality before the law, believes in free speech and free expression, and believes in the separation of church of state.

But yet, thanks to the failed policies of the last thirty years, we now also live in a country in which many people, potentially millions, no longer believe these things.

Far from it.

In fact, thanks to a series of surveys and polls in recent years, we already know there are many Muslims in Britain who hold the same regressive and misogynistic views of women that were on display during that charity run in East London, last week.

While you will never hear about these studies from woke left progressives who claim to defend women’s rights, their findings speak volumes.

Such as a survey by respected pollster Ipsos-MORI, in 2018, which found nearly half of all Muslim men believe “wives should always obey their husbands”, and nearly 40% think “it is acceptable for a British Muslim to keep more than one wife”.

Or a survey by the think-tank Policy Exchange, around the same time, which found that 40% of Muslims support gender-segregated education, while 44% think schools should be able to insist on girls wearing the hijab or niqab.

Or a more recent survey by the Henry Jackson Society, last year, which likewise found that 40% of Muslims in Britain want to see women “take a more traditional role in society”, while only 17% oppose this (the rest say they are undecided).

All of which raises the obvious question: what should we do about it?

Well, I have a suggestion.

Because at the very same time as East London Mosque was excluding women and girls from joining a charity run, Italy’s Prime Minister Georgia Meloni was setting out a set of bold new policies to resist what she calls ‘Islamic separatism’.

Meloni’s ruling Brothers of Italy party, she announced, is putting forward a new law that will ban the burqa and niqab face and body coverings in all public spaces.

Those who violate the ban by wearing these garments in public places, such as schools, offices, shops, and universities, will be fined between £250 and £2,500.

What Meloni describes as the “cultural separatism” of Islam, or what she has also called “the compatibility problem”, will be confronted with much stronger regulation of the funding of mosques, increased penalties for forced marriages, a crackdown on cultural practices such as ‘virginity testing’, and a formal requirement for religious groups that are not recognised by the Italian state to disclose any foreign funding.

And you know what? I not only think …

---

This is one of our regular exclusive posts for our committed readers. We cannot share counter-cultural pieces, evidence, and information like this without your support. Please upgrade now to remove all paywalls and help us speak up for the forgotten majority. If you are a pensioner, veteran, emergency worker, or student e-mail us for a discount matt@mattgoodwin.org

---