Robert Jenrick has been criticised by a rival for the Conservative leadership and Muslim parliamentarians for saying police should “immediately arrest” any protesters shouting “Allahu Akbar”, the Arabic phrase that means God is great.
The former immigration minister was speaking on Sky News about the accusations that police have been treating far-right marches and violence more harshly than other protests.
Jenrick said on Sky News he had been angered by the way pro-Palestinian demonstrations had been policed. “I have been very critical of police in the past, particularly around the attitude of some police forces to the protests we saw since [the Hamas attack on Israel on] 7 October.
“I thought it was quite wrong that somebody could shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ on the streets of London and not be immediately arrested; project genocidal chants on to Big Ben and not be immediately arrested. That attitude is wrong and I’ll always call out the police for it.”
Jenrick, who is one of the favourites to win the Conservative leadership, was criticised by Mel Stride, the former work and pensions secretary who is also vying for the leadership, as well as by the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, and the Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi. Jenrick said his comments were about the words in the context of protests.
Stride said the “suggestion of wholesale criminalisation of the words Allahu Akbar is unwise and insensitive”.
“Any threat in the use of these words can only ever be implied in the very rarest of circumstances,” he added. “Context clearly matters hugely here.”
Rayner, who was speaking in Rotherham as reports spread of further far-right violence on Wednesday night, said: “People like Robert Jenrick have been stirring up some of the problems that we’ve seen in our communities. Actually, what we want to see is communities coming together, and the vast majority of the public want to see that.”
When Jenrick’s comments were first aired, Lady Warsi wrote 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.”
Naz Shah, the MP for Bradford West, said: “This is complete ignorance and textbook Islamophobia from Robert Jenrick. It literally equates every Muslim in the world with extremism … It’s a basic Islamic saying that every Muslim in the world says in prayer.
“Imagine in this climate, either being that ignorant or deliberately trying to stigmatise all Muslims. He should apologise and speak to Muslim communities and learn more about our faith.”
Afzal Khan, another Labour MP, 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.”
Speaking later on Times Radio, Jenrick stood by his comments. “I fundamentally disagree with Sayeeda Warsi … If a politician like myself, a political leader who aspires to be 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 labelled 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 by sections of the media and politicians. This divisive rhetoric has emboldened the far-right thugs we see on our streets today.
“He should apologise, 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 later on Wednesday that he acknowledged it was a religious phrase, but said it could also be used as part of public disorder.
Posting a video of masked protesters, he said: “‘Allahu Akbar’ is spoken peacefully and spiritually by millions of British Muslims in their daily lives. But the aggressive chanting below is intimidatory and threatening. And it’s an offence under section 4 and 5 of the Public Order Act. Extremists routinely abuse common expressions for their own shameful ends. All violence must end. All violence must be called out.”
