Don’t use Facebook, muslim women told

Many mosques in the UK propagate extremely strict rules of conduct for women, asking them to delete their Facebook accounts, not to leave their houses without their husbands’ permission, and to avoid wearing trousers, a research report released today said. The research conducted by The Times showed rulings published by mosques and Islamic associations around Britain.

Under a section titled ‘Islamic articles’, the Croydon Mosque and Islamic Centre in London published a document — ‘Advice for the husband and wife’. Written by a mufti at the mosque, it says, “A woman should seek her husband’s permission when leaving the house and should not do so without his knowledge”.

The Central Masjid of Blackburn in northwest England has published a web post called ‘Dangers of Facebook’. It cites a quotation from the Quran about the sin of alcohol, and applies it to the social network. “Facebook has opened the doors for sin. Muslim women alike have become prey to this evil,” it says. It describes the social media website as a “vicious network”.