(Brussels Times) Despite mounting criticism, Islamic non-profit organisation Al-Furqan will be allowed to continue renting a swimming pool in Lommel, Flanders, for an Islamic swim event. Women are not allowed to attend, according to Belgian newspaper Het Belang van Limburg.
As the twice-monthly male-only swim events are open for “members only,” the Islamic group successfully skirts anti-discrimination laws. The group has previously stated that women are not welcome to these swim events, causing anger in the local community.
The pool, located within the De Soeverein sports centre, is partly owned by the city of Lommel. Angry residents decried the exclusion of women before city authorities, who were ultimately powerless to contest the ban on women.
