Islamic Society in sexual segregation row

Leicester University’s Islamic Society face investigation after separating men and women at a public lecture.

The lecture titled ‘Does God Exist?’ was organised as part of Islamic Awareness Week and segregated seating was in place at the event with different entrances for men and women.

The debate which featured Hamza Tzortzis, a public speaker on Islam, is not the only event which he has been present at to feature segregated seating. UCL banned an Islamic society from campus after it attempted to impose segregation at an event. Tzortzis was present at that event as well.

More than 100 students are thought to have attended the event, where the following image was taken.

Posters directing men and women in opposing directions.

In a message on the society’s page, which has since been removed, they state that “In all our events, [the society] operate a strict policy of segregated seating between males and females.” It would appear that this is regardless of whether people follow the Islamic faith or not.

Understandably the University have been quick to comment, saying they “will not interfere with people’s right to choose where they sit” adding: “If people attending do not wish to sit in a segregated manner, they are free to do so.”

The spokesman went on to say that “if there is any evidence of forced segregation, that would be a matter the University and Students’ Union would investigate.”

This is sure to be a debate that will rage on in the coming term and will ask difficult questions of the Union. Given the controversy that it has been embroiled in during the Varsity season and a number of other events throughout the year, the Union is under considerable pressure in its 90th year.