Donald Trump claimed that Sir Sadiq Khan, London’s first Muslim mayor, wants London to “go to sharia law” in his speech to the UN.
The US President said: “I look at London, where you have a terrible mayor, terrible terrible mayor, and it’s been so changed, so changed.
He then said: “Now they want to go to sharia law, but you’re in a different country.”
Trump’s comments sparked instant backlash, with many pointing out the absurdity of his claim.
A spokesperson for Khan, said: “We are not going to dignify his appalling and bigoted comments with a response.
“London is the greatest city in the world, safer than major US cities, and we’re delighted to welcome the record number of US citizens moving here.”
What is sharia law and is it really spreading through London?
What is sharia law?
Sharia is the moral and legal framework that Muslims follow, derived from the Quran, Islam’s holy book, and the Sunnah and Hadith, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad.
It covers a broad range of topics that touch every aspect of a Muslim’s daily life, including religious practices, financial decisions and relationships.
Sharia law splits offences into two classes: "hadd" offences — serious crimes with penalties, and "tazir" crimes — for which the punishment is not fixed and up to the judge.
Hadd offences include theft and illicit sexual relations, which can be punishable by amputating the offender's hand or foot under the sharia’s strictest interpretation.
According to traditional Islamic law, fathers can contract their daughters in marriage. Polygamy is allowed for husbands, who can be married to up to four women at one time.
Around half of the world’s Muslim-majority countries have sharia-based laws, with many Muslims following aspects of sharia in their daily lives. However, there is no universal agreement on what sharia is because interpretations vary significantly.
Is it really spreading through London?
Trump’s claim that London is moving towards sharia law is not substantiated.
Sharia councils have existed in the UK since the 1980s (there were an estimated 85 in the UK in 2009, according to one think tank), but they serve an advisory role, mainly concerned with personal and religious issues within the Muslim community.
Nearly all the sharia councils were launched to facilitate Islamic divorces for Muslim women who needed a religious scholar to end their marriage in cases where their husbands wouldn’t consent, according to The Guardian.
However, British law is the basis of the country’s legal system. Sharia councils are not legally binding and are unable to override British court rulings.
Trump’s most recent attack on Sir Sadiq Khan is not the first time the mayor has been associated with wanting to implement sharia law in London.
In 2020, photos with a quote attributed to Sadiq Khan began circulating on social media. It read: "We are trialling shakira [sic] law in three of London's boroughs right now. We will then roll it out in the remaining thirty next year."
The post, which misspells “sharia” as “shakira”, was falsely attributed to Khan. The mayor's office told Reuters that the quote was fabricated.
Following Trump’s latest comments, Health Secretary Wes Streeting hit back on X:“@SadiqKhan is not trying to impose sharia law on London.
.@SadiqKhan is not trying to impose Sharia Law on London.
— Wes Streeting (@wesstreeting) September 23, 2025
This is a Mayor who marches with Pride, who stands up for difference of background and opinion, who’s focused on improving our transport, our air, our streets, our safety, our choices and chances.
Proud he’s our Mayor. pic.twitter.com/RMkPWp5Bat
“This is a mayor who marches with Pride, who stands up for difference of background and opinion, who’s focused on improving our transport, our air, our streets, our safety, our choices and chances. Proud he’s our mayor.”
