By PMATOS
Added: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:12:55 UTC

I had a daughter last December, now almost 9 months old, and one of the first things we did was to put her in a swimming class. It is a great way to interact with her and spend some time with her in an unusual environment. We are having classes on Sunday mornings at 11.30, with WaterBabies in Cambridge.

We did the first level and during the very first class we were told that the men should leave the pool immediately after our session finished, since the next session was women-only, and that, if we required something from the pool side after that, we should ask reception to pick it up. As it turned out, 'women-only' actually meant it was 'Muslim women-only'.

I complied but one day I forgetfully went to the changing rooms and left my flip flops on the pool side. Without thinking, I instinctively just came back for my flip flips and when I entered the pool area, some of the Muslims were already there. As soon as they saw me, some started screaming and hiding, others ran to the women's changing room, and I was pushed into the men's changing room by my swimming teacher. I was repeatedly told by her in front of everyone else that I shouldn't do that again, and afterwards I also received an email warning, which in turn was followed up by an SMS warning as well.

I was not happy and it left me slightly nervous about the whole issue but the first swimming level finished and we decided to register for the second one, same day, same time, same pool. And again, it was right before another 'women-only' class. Yesterday was the first class. We men were once again warned to leave the pool-side immediately after the session finished, and I once again did so.

This time something different happened, something that left me so mad that I feel the need to react. My wife was in the ladies changing room with our daughter and one of our friends from our swimming class had a shower (naked as usual) and afterwards went to pick up her towel, which was right outside the shower cubicle. After she came out naked and picked up her towel she was approached by the Muslim teacher of the following class telling her that she must not be naked in front of them and that she should cover herself up. After a discussion between the teachers, the teacher from our WaterBabies class reprimanded our friend, and told her not to show herself naked in front of the women from the other class.

WHAT? She's in a friggin' women's changing room! What next? Wear a burka in front of them too?

This oppression is leaving me really irritated. I would like your advice on how to proceed with this. I feel that I and my male friends have the right not to be rushed into our changing rooms, and also not to be hassled if we happen to forget something on the pool side. And our partners and female friends from our class should certainly have the right to have a shower naked and be in their changing room naked. We shouldn't need to bend to the rules of Islam just because they get offended if we don't.

Any suggestions on what we can/should do? (Other than dropping out of the classes and losing the money we paid for them.)

TAGGED: ISLAM, RELIGION, SOCIETY