MPs Express Fury Over Government Job Listing Promoting Sharia Law Role at UK Mosque

Image: Jihad Watch

A wave of outrage swept through the British Parliament last night after it was revealed that a role titled “Sharia Law Administrator” was being advertised on an official UK Government jobs portal. The position, which offers a salary of £23,500 per year, is associated with a Sharia council operating out of the Didsbury Mosque in South Manchester.

Members of Parliament voiced strong objections, arguing that the British state should not be endorsing or facilitating parallel systems of justice rooted in religious law. Their concerns center on the principle that the UK's legal framework must remain uniform and secular, without promoting religious adjudication—particularly when it involves systems like Sharia, which are not formally recognised under British law.

Parliamentarians have urged the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to take swift action by removing the advertisement from the official government jobs platform. Critics argue that allowing such listings risks legitimising a separate legal infrastructure within Britain, which could undermine social cohesion and the authority of the national judicial system.

In response to the backlash, officials at the Didsbury Mosque defended the listing, noting that the job had been posted on behalf of an independent charity, the Manchester Islamic Centre. The mosque condemned what it described as a mischaracterisation of its work and intentions.

The controversy follows a broader investigation into the rise of Sharia councils across the UK. Reports suggest that Britain has become home to as many as 85 such councils, making it the de facto western hub for Islamic arbitration. These councils provide guidance and rulings on issues such as marriage, divorce, and family matters within the Muslim community—yet their decisions carry no legal weight under British civil law.

The Manchester Islamic Centre has clarified that its Sharia services are not intended to function as legal courts. Instead, it positions them as voluntary arbitration services—an arrangement that is legally permitted in the UK under certain conditions. The Centre maintains that their goal is to assist community members in resolving personal disputes in line with their religious beliefs, not to create a substitute for the British legal system.

Nevertheless, the job listing has reignited debate over the presence and influence of religious councils in public life, and whether government platforms should be used to promote or facilitate roles within such organisations. As the controversy unfolds, pressure is mounting on the DWP to clarify its policies on the kinds of roles that can be advertised on taxpayer-funded employment services.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)