The Didsbury Mosque responded against what it called ‘right-wing’ backlash against the ad posted on the government website
The Didsbury Mosque responded against what it called ‘right-wing’ backlash against the ad posted on the government website(Image: Manchester Evening News)
A south Manchester mosque has hit back against ‘misinformation’ surrounding a Sharia Law job advertisement which was posted on the Department for Work and Pensions website.
The Didsbury Mosque has responded publicly against what it called ‘right-wing’ backlash against the job ad for a ‘Shariah Law Administrator’ that was subsequently posted on the government job portal.
The Department for Work and Pensions advert, which was later withdrawn, sparked accusations that it promoted a ‘parallel legal system’ incompatible with British law.
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The DWP was subsequently criticised by Reform UK and Conservative MPs for hosting the advertisement on the online Find A Job website. The role required the applicant to ‘provide all admin and secretarial work’ for the Manchester Shariah Council, according to the description, for a salary of £23,500 per year.
The advert was posted on the Government’s Find a Job portal
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage equally took issue with the advert, claiming that the country was being ‘destroyed’. He said: “Our country and its values are being destroyed,” in a post on X followed by a screenshot of the advert which was shared publicly online.
Meanwhile Rupert Lowe, the independent MP for Great Yarmouth, posted: “I’ve formally questioned the DWP on what the hell they are playing at… We live in Britain – we do NOT have, or want, Shariah law.”
In a statement, the Didsbury Mosque said individuals on the ‘far-right’ had ‘maliciously misinformed the public to incite hate and for political gain or out of ignorance’ following the publication of the ad, by the Manchester Islamic Centre (MIC).
They said the MIC advertised for the role within its religious service and that it was not a government-funded post, but rather had a salary paid for by the mosque from community donations. It added that the job was posted by the independently registered charity – not affiliated with the Government.
“The DWP advertises many jobs to help people obtain employment. It is an administrative role, and they advertised the job for local people. It was open to anyone to apply,” the statement read.
“We do not operate outside UK law or operate a parallel legal system which would be unlawful. We operate within UK law and all our policies reflect respect for UK laws. Under the law, some different faith communities operate a religious arbitration and counselling service within the law.”
Didsbury Mosque(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Sharia councils in the UK are not formal courts and have no legal or constitutional role under UK law. They have existed in the UK since the early 1980s and issue Islam-inspired rulings on family and marriage matters.
Individuals may follow religious principles in their personal lives but these must not conflict with the law.
The Manchester Community Centre, which posted the advertisement, is an official charity registered with the Charity Commission.
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The statement continued: “The term Sharia law is misleading; it is not a legal court. Instead, it offers members of the Muslim communities two separate services – civil arbitration and religious guidance on numerous religious matters – neither of which constitutes a parallel legal system.
“Under the Arbitration Act (1996), all British citizens have the right to resolve civil – and not criminal or family – disputes through arbitration. They cannot provide rulings contrary to the law, but can resolve disputes.
“Some mosques in Manchester are registered to provide lawful civil marriages and perform a religious marriage as part of a lawfully conducted marriage service.
“It has been suggested in one online post that we are going to charge Christians for being non-Muslims. This is incorrect, inflammatory and xenophobic. There is no desire, intention or capability to demand taxes from anyone.”
Didsbury Mosque said that the posting of online ‘misinformation’ and threats were being reported by the police. The job advertisement has since been removed and will be reworded ‘to avoid future misunderstanding.’
A Government spokesperson said: “This job advert was advertised on the Find a Job portal by an independent registered charity, not DWP. Robust processes are in place to ensure all adverts on Find a Job meet strict guidelines.”