Former Dutch parliamentarian Ayaan Hirsi Ali has called for the abolition of Sharia courts in Britain, describing their existence as “absolutely outrageous”.
Speaking to GBN America, she condemned the operation of what she termed a “parallel system” alongside British law.
Britain has become the “western capital” for Sharia courts, with 85 Islamic councils now operating across the country since the first was established in 1982.
An estimated 100,000 Islamic marriages have been conducted in Britain, with many not officially registered with civil authorities. The councils serve as informal bodies, particularly focused on marriage dissolutions and divorces.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali hit out at the existence of sharia courts in the UK
Getty / GBNA
Sharia was defined in an official review by theologian Professor Mona Siddiqui as jurisprudence based on Islamic scholars’ opinions from the 7th to 13th centuries.
“You’ve allowed an entire parallel system to take place of a population that has refused to assimilate,” Hirsi Ali stated.
She emphasised that Britain should maintain only one legal system that applies equally to everyone, pointing to British common law as the appropriate framework.
The former Dutch MP particularly highlighted concerns about the protection of vulnerable children, specifically referencing victims of grooming gangs.
Britain has become the ‘western capital’ for sharia courts, with 85 Islamic councils now operating across the country since the first was established in 1982
Getty
Hirsi Ali emphasised the urgent need to protect British national heritage and identity through a unified legal system.
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“Of course, you have to abolish Sharia law, it should never have been allowed to begin with,” she stated.
She added: “You have to have only one system that applies to everyone equally. That is what British law, British common law is about. And so that is what you apply.
“You also are there to protect British national heritage, national identity and British citizens, especially vulnerable children like the little girls who are subjected to grooming and grooming gangs.”
Previous attempts at regulation have faced challenges, with Theresa May’s government refusing to implement a regulator.
Ali told GBNA that there needs to be a protection of ‘British identity and heritage’
GBNA
Baroness Cox, a cross-bench peer, has previously attempted to address these issues through a private members’ bill. She described sharia councils as a “rapidly developing alternative quasi-legal system.”
The Muslim Women’s Network charity plans to propose a code of conduct in 2025 to improve standards at Britain’s sharia councils.
The Government continues to emphasise the importance of legally recognised marriages, noting these provide essential “protections, security and support” for couples.
A Government spokesperson stated that Sharia law “does not form any part of the law in England and Wales”.