London, August 14: A Labour MP has reacted with fury after he and his wife were ordered into separate rooms at a Muslim wedding.
Jim Fitzpatrick, MP for Poplar and Canning Town in east London, and his wife Sheila left the wedding at the London Muslim Centre after they were told it was strictly segregated.
The minister for food and farming was told that his wife would have to move into a separate room, and walked out of his constituents’ wedding, claiming the strict Islam rule was affecting ‘social cohesion’.
He accused the complex in Whitechapel of imposing tough new segregation rules which Muslims in the community do not want. Mr Fitzpatrick, 57, said: ‘The segregation of men and women didn’t used to be as much of a strong feature.
We’ve been attending Muslim weddings together for years but only recently has this strict line been taken.
‘But it is an indication of the stricter application of rules that is taking place that didn’t exist before.’ He blamed controversial Muslim organisation the Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE), which is based in the same building, for the ruling.
He said the group, which promotes Sharia law, had a ‘stranglehold influence’ on the centre.
-Agencies