Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick faces backlash after calling for arrest of people who chant 'Allahu akbar'

A senior British Conservative member of parliament faced backlash on Tuesday after suggesting that police arrest protesters who chant "Allahu Akbar", an Arabic phrase used by Muslims to mean "God is great".

MP and Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick made the comments during a televised interview with Sky News over accusations that British police had been treating far-right violent riots "more harshly" than other protests.

Jenrick criticised how police had handled pro-Palestine protests, which had been mostly peaceful despite their huge turnouts in comparison to the recent riots across the UK.

"I have been very critical of police in the past, particularly around the attitude of some police forces to the protests we saw since 7 October," Jenrick said.

"I thought it was quite wrong that somebody could shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ on the streets of London and not be immediately arrested," he added.

He was immediately criticised by his Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi, who posted 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."

Speaking later to Times Radio, Jenrick stood by his remarks.

"I fundamentally disagree with Sayeeda Warsi … If a politician like myself, a political leader who aspires to be the 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."

TNA reached out to Jenrick for comments but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

His remarks also drew criticism from Labour MPs and British Muslim bodies, who accused the Tory MP for fuelling racial tensions, especially as the past week saw far-right mobs targeting Muslims and Mosques with violence.

Labour MP Naz Shah said on X: "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."

She added: "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."

Lord Nazir Ahmed, a member of the House of Lords, posted on X: "Allah O’Akbar means 'God is Great', it's the start and part of every Muslim prayer 5 times a day. Robert Jenrick your comments to Sky News at a time when communal tensions are high, fuel Islamaphobia. Don't try and 'qualify' your comments - just apologise!"

Meanwhile, the Muslim Council of Britain said that Jenrick's comments fail to show leadership or reassure communities at a time "when fear is palpable".

In a statement, the body said: "Instead, by calling for a well-worn religious phrase to warrant arrest is the kind of divisive language we would come to expect peddled by sections of the media and politicians, has emboldened the far-right thugs we see on our streets today."

The body called on him to apologise, 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".

Tell Mama UK also weighed in, posting on X that Jenrick's remarks showed a "complete detachment in understanding sensitivities around British Muslims".

Islamophobia has been a significant and ongoing issue within the Conservative Party.

In 2018, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims formulated a definition of Islamophobia after extensive consultations with academics, experts, and faith communities.

Despite this, the Conservative Party has notably refused to adopt this definition, citing concerns about "freedom of speech" and potential conflicts with the Equality Act 2010.

However, critics argue that the party's reluctance to embrace the formal definition was a reflection of a broader failure to address anti-Muslim sentiment within its ranks.

The party had readmitted councillors who were previously suspended for alleged Islamophobia and racism without a transparent probe or explanation.