They haven’t thought this through.

Sermon says men can ‘physically discipline’ rebellious wives “as a last resort”

Last month, Birmingham mosque Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre (GLMCC) live streamed a sermon in which Aqeel Mahmood (pictured) said “discipline in the case of rebellion” is one of the “rights of the husband over the wife”.

He said: “The husband is a leader. He has his responsibilities. Physical discipline is a last resort on the condition that it doesn’t cause pain, injury, fear or humiliation”.

Quick question: if physical discipline doesn’t cause pain, injury, fear or humiliation then what does it cause? What’s it for? What’s the point of it?

It’s a ridiculous claim. The whole point of “physical discipline” is to cause pain. That’s true when parents do it to children and when husbands do it to wives. Here’s a little-known fact: there’s a reason it’s a man blathering about disciplining wives and not the other way around. What’s the reason? Same as the reason parents discipline children and not the other way around. Men hit women because they can. Women can’t compete.

It’s not discipline, it’s anger and contempt and domination.

Mahmood also said a husband has a “right” to “intimacy” with his wife and a wife must not leave the house without her husband’s permission. Mahmood is understood to be an imam at the centre.

The charity’s “welfare and wellbeing” services include a “domestic abuse support” service.

The National Secular Society, which has reported GLMCC to the Charity Commission twice since 2024 over misogyny concerns, has sent this latest information to the regulator.

GLMCC was featured in the NSS’s September report on misogyny in religious charities, which was raised during Prime Minister’s Questions last month. Keir Starmer said he would “make sure” to look into the specific issue of religious charities and misogyny.

Let us know when you’ve looked and what you’re going to do, please.

H/t Jesus and Mo