Three women who signed a letter saying that two government inquiries into sharia courts were sidelining Muslim voices have withdrawn their names from it.
Shahien Taj, Amina Lone and Rohema Miah, all trustees of the Henna Foundation charity, said they now had “grave concerns about the divisive nature of the discussions” that had followed the protest.
The open letter from the Muslim Women’s Network UK said that Muslim women were being used as a political football in the debate about sharia courts. It triggered a furious debate, particularly on social media, between some of the Muslim signatories and groups of secular feminists, who were branded in one post as Islamophobic.
The controversy has resulted in the three women saying they no longer wanted to be part of the open letter, which criticised the independent government review and an inquiry by the home affairs select committee.
It warned that the inquiries had marginalised the voices of the Muslim women they should be listening most closely to. [The Guardian] Read more
