After those ridiculous posters

Well, surely that was the intention? Or at least, the particular branch which was holding the celebration or whatever - the posters weren't meant to be ordering non-Jewish female citizens where to walk.

Perhaps they should have made it clearer on the posters, but there would always have been objections in any case.

The posters were addressing Jewish women only. They were put up in readiness for the procession.

Exactly Ana.

You are truly amazing Absent. The way you seem to know the ins and outs of every religion on this planet, including, in this instance, the Jewish one.

A commenter, "rochefoucauld", in the OP article says this:

"When that message about gender segregation leaves a religious context and enters the public sphere, it becomes everybody's business."

She's right.

Perhaps absent has had or has given herself a very extensive religious education, jings. That isn't outwith the bounds of possibility.

I don't understand why other people's religious beliefs are actually anything to do with anyone else. Unless, of course, they truly harm others. I don't hear Orthodox Jewish women complaining about their lot in life.

I think since the posters were written in Yiddish as well as English we can assume they were intended for Jews and more specifically, Jews who use Yiddish and can read it using the Hebrew alphabet. Very selective group.

"Perhaps absent has had or has given herself a very extensive religious education, jings. That isn't outwith the bounds of possibility."

Remarks far too hackneyed to suggest that.

Quite, Lilygran. And the organisers did say that to avoid doubt in future they would print the posters in Yiddish only.

absent should have added 'some' to a lot of her comments. The practices she describes are not universal to the religions she mentions and in some cases (like the posters) apply to a specific minority group. But it's easier (though untrue) to say 'Christianity', 'Islam', 'Judaism'. Presenting a behaviour noted in one person or group as typical of all members of that group is classic stereotyping.

Well firstly as my mother would have said, who's she, the cat's mother? Why are you talking about absent as though she's not here? Hello absent. <waves>. And secondly, I don't understand the need for adding 'some' in the comments made.

And jingle, other people's religious views are everything to do with everyone else when fostered on those with differing views. Ask a raped, pregnant woman in Ireland

Foisted

It wasn't long ago that there was discussion about universities "voluntarily" segregating men and women. Universities UK backed off when the PM's spokesperson spoke up.

I would be highly offended to be segregated because of my gender. I thought those days were behind us.

jingl People are entitled to believe whatever they choose and I am entitled to think their beliefs are nonsense. Believers and unbelievers are entitled to state their beliefs or lack of them. If the womenfolk of Plymouth Brethren want to walk around looking like a badly dressed version of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm or orthodox Jews in Stamford Hill want to wear black hats and ringlets, that's fine with me. What no one should be allowed to do is demand certain kinds of behaviour from the general public in the public domain based on their religious practices. Public streets are just that.

Profundity, incidentally, does not characterise most of the posts on this site. I am surely not the only one whose comments you can class as hackneyed. You always have the option of ignoring them.

faye, with you on that, though I wouldn't be offended, I'd be angry and the segregators would know about my anger.

I'm surprised that there apparently exist gransnetters who are willing to condone segregation on the grounds of gender in a London street.

As others have said, people can believe what they like and keep what customs they like, so long as neither of those interfere with those who don't share the beliefs or the customs. Why couldn't this Jewish sect tell the women which side of the road to walk on privately? I suppose posters only in Yiddish is a start towards that but I don't really see why they need posters (modern things) for an archaic custom.

I don't think posters in Yiddish only would be a positive step. That would just be a step towards religious oppression of females that is not obvious to the rest of us, ie misogyny behind closed doors. Quite enough of that already.

Oh for God's sake!!! What the fuck has a raped pregnant woman in Ireland got to do with these posters?! This is getting ridiculous.

I say (tiredly) again, the posters were meant for the Jewish women taking part in the procession only. And the local residents would have been fully aware of that fact. No one else's business.

But do carry on with the anti-religion hysteria. We've seen it all before on GN. #usual suspects

Enjoy.

But do try to remember that the Jewish people living in this country were not responsible for the bombing of Gaza.

In answer to your question jingl, everything. While ever organised religion is permitted to impose rules that affect the whole of society, while ever men make the rules in organised religion (including deciding how far women can be involved in the hierarchy), then every small symbol of oppression reinforces and normalises the very real oppression that women all over the world experience.

I have nothing against religious belief - I have some very vague and personal beliefs of my own, but I have no time for anachronistic rules and laws based on the misogyny that characterises many of these ancient religions.

Sigh! I was really hoping no one would actually bother to answer that almost rhetorical question.

But, of course, this is Gransnet.

Couldn't resist jingl. Don't worry I haven't got anything else to say.

Well said what you did say, nightowl.

The fact that it is a Jewish religious group requiring the segregation is beside the point. The objections would still apply if it were required by, for example, a Belgian humanist group.

It is hard to imagine that such a group would have rules about gender segregation but if such a group did, the same objections would apply. "Genderism" is the issue, not religion or race.