AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The incident began at an Islamic Sharia council in East London but did not end there. That same day, activists from the far-right group Britain First went to a halal meat slaughterhouse, taking their cameras to film the site and confront the staff.
According to a report by Al Jazeera Net, at the Sharia council in Leyton, Khawla Hassan, the director of the council, did not know how the situation would unfold. Four members of the group entered the council's offices and rooms, filmed the premises, and created a tense atmosphere with shouting and noise. Khawla Hassan tried to explain that this council is not a parallel legal system, but an institution that provides advice and mediation on some civil matters related to family, divorce, and inheritance among Muslims.
After the group members left, Khawla realized how much fear she had experienced. She said her legs were shaking and she had to sit down because during the raid, she kept asking herself whether the incident would lead to the destruction of the place or an attack on her and her colleague.
But from the perspective of British Muslim leaders, this incident goes beyond mere concern and fear. They believe this incident is part of a broader atmosphere in which Islamophobia is increasing, and Muslim institutions and religious symbols are becoming targets for far-right campaigns.
After the Sharia council, the group members went to the halal meat slaughterhouse in the Romford area. They filmed the staff, customers, the animal holding area, and the meat storage facilities. This action was accompanied by language that attacked the Islamic method of slaughter, describing it as brutal and disgusting, and calling for its ban.
Widespread Reactions
These two incidents, which occurred on July 30, drew widespread reactions from Islamic institutions in the UK.
Mustafa Dabbagh, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said, "The claims made about Sharia councils have no connection to reality. The role of these councils is merely to help resolve some civil matters among Muslims."
He added, "The insistence of far-right groups and provocative currents on the existence of what they call Sharia courts or parallel legal systems is a distortion of reality and a clear lie."
Dabbagh believes that targeting the Sharia council and the slaughterhouse falls within the broader context of the increasing anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant discourse in the UK.
He emphasized that merely condemning these incidents after they occur will not provide the necessary protection for Muslim communities.
He said, "It is time for the British government and its leaders to genuinely engage with Muslim communities, and to do so through trusted partners and democratically elected institutions that represent Muslims."
Security Shortcomings
Dabbagh also pointed to repeated complaints about delays in providing security protection for British mosques, saying that some institutions have been waiting for more than two years to receive promised security support.
On the other hand, Afzal Khan, a British parliamentarian, called for more serious measures to combat Islamophobia and ensure the safety of all residents of the country. He also referred to proposals about appointing an official to follow up on Islamophobia cases and improving mechanisms for recording and monitoring hate crimes.
According to UK Home Office data between March 2024 and March 2025, Muslims accounted for about 45 percent of recorded victims of religious hate crimes in the country. At the same time, according to some estimates, a significant portion of these incidents are never reported.
Khan emphasized the need for engagement with existing British Islamic institutions, saying, "When an organization like the Muslim Council of Britain exists, which includes more than 600 affiliated institutions and groups, it is not acceptable for governments to continue for decades without engaging with it."
These incidents occur amid rising warnings about increasing anti-Muslim sentiment in the UK, and at the same time, calls for the government to take more effective measures to combat hate crimes and protect religious and ethnic minorities have also increased.
**************
End/ 345E
