Reactions to Robert Jenrick’s Statements
Recent developments in the UK have provoked reactions from politicians and different segments of society. Jenrick, in a program he attended on Sky News, claimed that the British police were taking a harsher stance against violent acts by far-right groups compared to other protests. Jenrick, who particularly criticized the police’s treatment of demonstrations organized by supporters of Palestine, made the following statements:
- “I have criticized the police in the past, particularly in relation to the protests since October 7. It is completely wrong that some people were shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ on the streets of London and were not immediately arrested, that genocidal slogans were projected onto Big Ben.”
- “These attitudes are absolutely wrong and I will always alert the police for this.”
Jenrick’s statements were harshly criticized by both his political opponents and civil society organizations. British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner stated in a statement that people like Jenrick were fueling social problems:
- “What we really want to see is communities coming together, and that’s what the vast majority of people want.”
Another criticism came from former Conservative leadership candidate Mel Stride, who reacted to Jenrick’s comments by saying:
- “The suggestion that the words Allahu Akbar should be criminalized wholesale is unwise and insensitive. Only in very rare cases would any threat be implied in the use of these words.”
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi was another name to criticize Jenrick. In her post on her X account, Warsi said:
- “Every day we pray before we begin our work in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. We say the parliamentary version of Allahu Akbar at the heart of democracy. Jenrick’s use of this language is a continuation of ugly and divisive rhetoric.”
Naz Shah, an MP for the ruling Labor Party, also slammed Jenrick’s comments:
- “These words from Robert Jenrick are pure ignorance and textbook Islamophobia.”
Shah accused Jenrick of equating every Muslim in the world with extremism, saying:
- “You are either that ignorant or you are deliberately trying to stigmatize all Muslims. Jenrick should apologise and speak to Muslim communities to learn more about our faith.”
The Muslim Council of Britain also said in a post on X that Jenrick used divisive language:
- “This divisive rhetoric has emboldened the far-right thugs we see on our streets today.”
Jenrick later said in a post on the X platform that he accepted that the words Allahu Akbar were a religious expression, but claimed that this expression could also be used to disrupt public order.
