London’s Hidden Courts: The Rise of Unregulated Sharia Councils and the Women Caught in Betw

[Social Media]

 

London’s Hidden Courts: The Rise of Unregulated Sharia Councils and the Women Caught in Between

 

In a quiet corner of Leyton, East London, nestled among houses of worship representing multiple faiths, the Islamic Sharia Council operates out of a modest terraced building. This unassuming site, marked in bold white letters, is one of several sharia councils quietly shaping the personal lives of Muslim women across the capital. Though established to provide guidance and resolution in accordance with Islamic law, these councils have increasingly come under fire for perpetuating misogyny, operating in secrecy, and existing largely outside any formal legal framework.

 

 

The Islamic Sharia Council was founded decades ago and now sits in what was once the end of a residential row. Inside, Khola Hasan, the founder’s daughter and an Islamic scholar with two academic degrees, welcomes visitors. Standing before shelves filled with Islamic legal texts, she gestures toward an outdated yet still-used poster showing a complex Islamic divorce flowchart. “It’s been there for many years,” she says with a laugh. “We keep meaning to update it. But it is still largely accurate.”

 

 

While Hasan’s council is one of a few officially known councils in London, estimates of the total number operating in the UK vary wildly—from 30 to over 85. Many are believed to be informal or completely unregistered, often functioning in mosque back rooms. These bodies have gained the controversial reputation of turning Britain into what some call “the sharia court capital of the West.”

 

 

These councils are often portrayed as both saviors and oppressors. On one hand, they are seen as a lifeline for women trapped in religious marriages, unable to obtain a divorce without male consent. On the other, critics argue they enforce deeply patriarchal norms, offering few protections for women and sometimes leaving them destitute.

 

 

Faria, a woman from East London, found herself in marital limbo for over seven years after her husband deserted her. They had married through a nikah, an Islamic marriage contract not recognized under UK civil law. Without a civil marriage certificate, she had no legal recourse to demand a divorce. In Islam, a man can unilaterally divorce his wife through a process called talaq, simply by declaring it three times. In one case, a man even attempted to divorce his wife by text message. Meanwhile, a woman like Faria must either obtain her husband’s consent or convince a sharia council judge that the husband has failed in his duties.

 

Hasan, who is the only female Islamic “judge” in London—though she prefers the term “Islamic scholar”—works to resolve such cases through what she calls “meetings” rather than hearings. “No one is on trial,” she explains. “Asking for divorce is often a cry for help.” Many of the cases involve complaints about a partner’s “un-Islamic lifestyle,” though the council increasingly fields issues beyond divorce, such as inheritance disputes or religious obligations. The Islamic Sharia Council has even set up a helpline to respond to growing demand.

 

The lack of regulation remains a major concern. Researcher Uddin, who has studied sharia councils extensively, believes the real number of functioning councils is much lower than official estimates. “Quite a lot of them are, as imams explained to me, just a couple of people working in the back end of a mosque or something like that.” Without oversight, these groups can interpret Islamic law as they see fit, often to the detriment of women’s rights.

 

Among 27 British Bangladeshi women interviewed by Uddin, many stayed in abusive marriages due to fear of social stigma, loss of housing, or financial insecurity. Rupa, one such woman, fled to a refuge after enduring domestic violence, only to be shunned by her family. “She’s not allowed in my house,” her father told her. Friends and relatives urged her to return to her husband, warning what others might say if she didn’t.

 

Despite the clear dangers, some women see unregistered nikah marriages as offering an easier path out. One sharia judge told Uddin, “A couple were married for four months then the woman applied for an Islamic divorce. I asked why she did not have a civil marriage. The woman said thank God she didn’t otherwise she would have had to wait a year to divorce.” For those in brief unions without children or financial entanglements, the speed is appealing. But the cost can be devastating—no legal protection, no financial support, and no guaranteed rights.

 

As these shadow councils expand across the capital, the debate continues: are they offering help to vulnerable women, or quietly reinforcing a system that leaves many without recourse, recognition, or rights?

 

Adpated by ASEAN Now from The Standard  2025-04-23

 

Related Topics:

Britain’s Sharia Courts and the Challenge of Religious Freedom

 

 

[Purdey]

I haven't heard of any public stoning yet. If it is just advice then fine. Punishments that are barbaric are the main issue.

[newbee2022]

29 minutes ago, Purdey said:

I haven't heard of any public stoning yet. If it is just advice then fine. Punishments that are barbaric are the main issue.

Well, it's a men's world. (They think)

[Smokey and the Bandit]

 

This speaks volumes sadly! Women are treated as second class, where is the 'me too' movement?????

[klauskunkel]

6 hours ago, Social Media said:

established to provide guidance and resolution in accordance with Islamic law

these groups can interpret Islamic law as they see fit

these shadow councils expand across the capital

 

37 minutes ago, Purdey said:

I haven't heard of any public stoning yet.

the next step in the UK's evolution is Islamic law enforcement, sanctioned by a future majority Islamic government. That's when you will hear word of the first public stoning...

[HK MacPhooey]

45 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

 

the next step in the UK's evolution is Islamic law enforcement, sanctioned by a future majority Islamic government. That's when you will hear word of the first public stoning...

Thanks Klauskunkel for explaining to this ‘Islam apologist’ the threat of the ongoing and fast-paced Islamification of the UK whilst the indigenous people stand by and let it happen… cos ‘for now it is just advise so that’s OK - hasn’t got to the level of stoning and barbaric punishments just yet’

[Watawattana]

Sounds like a bunch of people wanting to live in the UK, but not to integrate or adhere to the Laws of the country where they now live.  They need to go back to wherever they can from.  Simples.

 

Wonder what'd happen to me if I chose to ignore the laws local to where I live eh?

[RocketDog]

4 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

 

the next step in the UK's evolution is Islamic law enforcement, sanctioned by a future majority Islamic government. That's when you will hear word of the first public stoning...

Inevitable. Easy script:

 

Go to another country as an immigrants or refugee.

Find a Muslim enclave to live in.

Take whatever financial or support means the host country offers you for as long as possible including citizenship.

In the meantime pump out kids faster than the nationals in your host country.

In a generation or so you have enough Muslim candidates and voters to put people in office.

Rinse and repeat until you control the government.

 

It works too. Look at France and England, both well down the road at this point with never a shot fired. To paraphrase:

Death by a thousand children and their children and their children.