❓WHAT HAPPENED: A government job website in the United Kingdom advertised for an Islamic law administrator, sparking backlash.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Britain’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Reform Party leader Nigel Farage.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The advertisement was posted on July 24 but taken down on July 28.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Our country and its values are being destroyed.” — Nigel Farage
🎯IMPACT: The DWP claimed the advertisement was for a third party and not a government entity, but the backlash led to them taking it down just days after posting it.
A job advertisement for an administrative position at a Sharia court in Britain has sparked political backlash after being posted on the British government’s official jobs website. Listed on the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Find a Job site, the $31,500-a-year role is based at Manchester Community Centre in Didsbury, England.
The position, advertised by an independent charity, requires applicants to hold a degree in Sharia law and have prior experience working within Islamic courts abroad. Duties include administrative and secretarial responsibilities for the Manchester Sharia Council and coordinating social and religious services.
Outrage quickly followed, with Reform Party leader Nigel Farage commenting, “Our country and its values are being destroyed.”
Zia Yusuf, who heads Reform’s British DOGE initiative, echoed the party leader, warning: “There is only one legal system in the UK. Any attempt to upend or replace it should be illegal.”
The uproar follows increasing scrutiny over the presence of Sharia courts across Britain. Reports indicate there are approximately 85 such bodies in the country, often handling religious rulings related to family matters, particularly Islamic divorces.
Usually comprised of male Islamic scholars, they offer “guidance” and decisions that hold significance for those married under Islamic law, particularly women seeking religious divorces, which often require Sharia court approval even if a civil divorce has been granted. Though many Muslim-majority countries have reformed elements of Sharia in family law, traditional interpretations still heavily influence rulings in these Britain-based councils.
The DWP, under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party, has tried to distance itself from the advertisement, insisting that “Find A Job is a free platform to help jobseekers find vacancies with employers from various sectors.”
Regardless, the listing was removed on July 28 amid public outrage.
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