Robert Jenrick says people shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ should be arrested

Robert Jenrick is now under fire from a contender for the Conservative leadership and from MPs objecting to his suggestion that people chanting Allahu Akbar should be arrested on the spot. The ex-immigration minister was in discussion on Sky News regarding the allegations of police bias towards far-right marches and violence.

 “At the way police have handled pro-Palestinian demonstrations, Jenrick told Sky News: “I have been very critical of police in the past, particularly around the attitude of some police forces to the protests we saw since 7 October.””I thought it quite wrong that somebody could shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ on the streets of London and not be immediately arrested, project genocidal chants onto Big Ben and not be immediately arrested. That attitude is wrong, and I will always call that out to the police.”

Jenrick, one of the front-runners for the Conservative leadership, was attacked over his comments by Mel Stride, the former work and pensions secretary and another contender for the leadership, as well as by the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, and the Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi. Jenrick clarified that his remarks were regarding words spoken at protests.

Stride added that the “suggestion of wholesale criminalization of the words Allahu Akbar is unwise and insensitive.” He went on: “Any threat in the use of these words can only ever be implied in the very rarest of circumstances. Context matters hugely here.”

Rayner spoke in Rotherham, where there have been reports of further far-right violence Wednesday night, and said: “People like Robert Jenrick have been stirring up some of the problems that we’ve seen in our communities. We want to see communities coming together, and the vast majority of the public want to see that.”

When Jenrick’s comments were first broadcast, Lady Warsi posted on X: “Every day before we start parliamentary business in the Commons and Lords, we say a prayer and praise God – we say our parliamentary version of Allahu Akbars at the heart of democracy – a process Robert Jenrick is a part of. This language from Jenrick is more of his usual nasty, divisive rhetoric – he is such a tool.

“This is complete ignorance and textbook Islamophobia from Robert Jenrick. It equates every Muslim in the world with extremism … It’s a basic Islamic saying that every Muslim in the world says in prayer,” said Naz Shah, MP for Bradford West. “Imagine, in this climate, either being that ignorant or deliberately trying to stigmatize all Muslims. He should apologize and speak to Muslim communities and learn more about our faith.”

Another Labour MP, Afzal Khan, said: “Another day, another senior Tory being Islamophobic. Allahu Akbar means God is great – the Muslim equivalent of hallelujah. Jenrick’s confidence in going on national TV to say people should be arrested for saying Allahu Akbar exposes his deep-seated prejudice against Muslims.”. ” I fundamentally disagree with Sayeeda Warsi.

 If a politician like myself, a political leader who aspires to be the leader of the opposition of our country, cannot speak out about the undoubted problem we have as a country with Islamist extremism for fear of being falsely viewed as a racist by an individual such as Sayeeda Warsi, then that is a very troubling situation.’The Muslim Council of Britain said: “We are shocked at Robert Jenrick’s claim on Sky News this morning that those who proclaim ‘God is great’ (or Allahu Akbar) in public should be arrested.”

“As a prospective leader, Mr. Jenrick should be showing leadership, reassuring our communities when fear is palpable. Instead, calling for a well-worn religious phrase to warrant arrest is the kind of divisive language we would come to expect from sections of the media and politicians. This divisive rhetoric has emboldened the far-right thugs we see on our streets today.

“He should apologize, fully retract his comments, and speak to ordinary Muslims to understand why his remarks are so outrageous. Rather than inflaming tensions, he should focus on ways to bring communities together.”

Jenrick posted on X a little later on Wednesday that he accepted it was a religious phrase but said it could also be used as part of public disorder.

He tweeted on Monday with the posting of a video of the masked protesters: “‘Allahu Akbar’ is spoken peacefully and spiritually by millions of British Muslims in their daily lives. But the aggressive chanting below is intimidating and threatening. And it’s an offense under sections 4 and 5 of the Public Order Act. Extremists routinely abuse common expressions for their shameful ends. All violence must end. All violence must be called out .”