Muslim women do not need saving, says female leader of mosque at centre of charity run row

Sufia Alam, of the East London Mosque, said: ‘Critics think they’re sticking up for women’s rights, but they’re dismissing that we have a choice in what we do.’ Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Guardian

A female leader at a British mosque accused of excluding women from a charity run has said women in the community have a voice and do not “need saving” by critics who lack an understanding of Muslim values.

East London Mosque, in Tower Hamlets, found itself at the centre of a media firestorm and received dozens of hate mail messages after staging the Muslim Charity Run, open to “men, boys of all ages and girls under 12”. The communities secretary, Steve Reed, later said he was “horrified”.