by Jules Gomes, Focus on Western Islamism
UK Site Displayed Ad from Mosque Attended by Manchester Arena Jihadi Bomber Who Killed 23
A U.K. mosque pulled a job advertisement for “Shariah Law Administrator” from a government website after it sparked a backlash on social media and opposition from conservative lawmakers.
The advert, posted on the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) jobs portal, which is open to employers in England, Scotland and Wales, was placed by the Didsbury Mosque in Manchester, the mosque attended by the Manchester Arena bomber, Salman Abedi, and three other jihadis who killed 23 and injured 113 in the 2017 attack.
The position offered an annual salary of £23,500 and required the selected candidate to handle administrative work for the Manchester Sharia Council, which provides guidance in matrimonial disputes. “In non-Muslim countries, the judgment of a non-Muslim judge may not align with Islamic Shariah law,” it explains.
On July 28, a day after the advertisement was deleted, the Didsbury Mosque issued a statement acknowledging that the Manchester Islamic Centre (MIC)—the working name for the mosque listed on the Charity Commission’s website—had placed the advertisement for an administration role within its Shariah section.
“Some individuals on the far right and politicians have maliciously misinformed the public about this post to incite hate and for political gain, or out of ignorance,” it complained. “We intend to pursue those who spread false information under the Malicious Communications Act and the Online Safety Act.”
The mosque, which did not respond to an inquiry from Focus on Western Islamism (FWI), declared in its statement that it had asked the DWP to remove the advert from its website and would reword it to avoid future misunderstanding. It also clarified that it was not a government-funded post and that the mosque pays for it using community donations.