British Muslim group tells women not to travel more than 48 miles without male escort

Leading Muslim scholars in UK have rejected the advice as offensive in this day and age

A British Muslim group in the UK has advised women not to go on long journeys without a male chaperon.

Blackburn Muslim Association gave instructions that it is “not permissible” for a woman to go more than 48 miles – deemed to be the equivalent of three days walk - without her husband or a close male relative. The ruling also stipulates that men must grow beards and advises women to cover their faces.



Justine Greening, the International Development Secretary, condemned the advice as ‘disgraceful’ and said such views had ‘no place’ in modern Britain.

The rulings are contained in a question and answer section of the group’s site which offers offer “solutions and answers” to social, religious and financial matters from Sharia teaching. The group is listed as an affiliate of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).

However, leading Muslim scholars in the UK, including a prominent adviser to the MCB, have rejected the advice as “offensive in this day and age” while the National Secular Society condemned it as “almost medieval”.

An Oxford-based scholar and former head of the MCB’s education committee, Dr Sheik Howjat Ramzy, said, “I believe this is offensive in this day and age that such a restriction should be placed on any woman against her wishes. This practice was a very old tradition which had been followed by some when there was no security for women and when women were at risk of being abducted when travelling alone - this was a tradition at the very beginning of Islam.”



“I would think no Muslim man has the right to impose these restrictions of movement. Women should be free to go where they please. I believe they should withdraw this statement and not degrade women. Islam gives great freedom to women – travel is part of that freedom,” he added.

Lord Green, the founder of the think-tank Migration Watch UK, said, “There is no place in our society for restrictions of this kind on the freedom of women. Muslim leaders would do well to encourage their followers to integrate with our society rather than cut themselves off.”

Blackburn has the third highest percentage of Muslims, after Tower Hamlets and Newham in east London.

A MCB spokesperson added, "Islamic legal opinion supports diversity, remaining true to the Prophet (PBUH)'s way, but also with a flexible approach. Changes are afoot, as can be seen in the empowerment of women, whether it be religious scholarship or political leadership. Rulings that belong to different historical periods and cultural settings get superseded. We encourage affiliates to actively consider this."

This article originally appeared on Telegraph