Robert Jenrick, a British Member of Parliament and former Minister of State for Immigration, has sparked controversy by suggesting police should “immediately arrest” protesters chanting “Allahu Akbar”.
The phrase, which means God is great, is commonly used in Islamic prayers.
Robert criticised the police for allowing pro-Palestinian protesters to chant the phrase without arrest, arguing it was “quite wrong” and indicative of a lenient attitude towards certain groups.
“I thought it was quite wrong that somebody could shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ on the streets of London and not be immediately arrested,” Robert told Sky News.
Prominent Muslim parliamentarians, including Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi and Labour MP Naz Shah, condemned his remarks, accusing Robert of “textbook Islamophobia”.
Warsi highlighted that parliamentary prayers also praise God, calling Robert’s language “nasty, divisive rhetoric”.
Shah added that Robert’s comments equate all Muslims with extremism and urged him to apologise and engage with Muslim communities.
Robert later clarified on social media that while “Allahu Akbar” is used peacefully by many, its aggressive use in protests can be “intimidatory and threatening” and is an offence under public order laws.
He stressed the need for police to enforce the law without bias and criticised community-led policing.
Robert also accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of being reluctant to address retaliatory protests, calling them “disgraceful” and urging robust law enforcement.
