Tory MP Calls for Criminal Probe into Imams Encouraging Wife-Beating
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp demands police investigations into three preachers whose sermons allegedly sanctioned violence against women.
Conservative MP Chris Philp has called for criminal investigations into imams who have allegedly encouraged men to use physical violence against their wives. The Shadow Home Secretary's demand follows a report by the Mail on Sunday detailing sermons from three preachers.
Yasin Munye of the Hackney Islamic Community Centre reportedly stated that men could hit their wives if they refuse intimacy. Mahamed AbdurRazaq of the An-Noor Masjid and Community Centre in Birmingham is quoted as saying that a husband is allowed to 'hit her, a hitting that does not bruise and that does not break bones' after attempting to 'admonish' wives who refuse sex. Aqeel Mahmood of the Green Lane Masjid, also in Birmingham, is reported to have lectured that a husband has the right to 'discipline his wife in case of rebellion,' including leaving the house without permission.
Philp has sent letters to the Metropolitan Police and West Midlands Police, describing the comments as 'abhorrent' and stating they 'have no place in British society.' He argued that women in ethnic minority communities should not be left vulnerable and that cultural sensitivities should not impede law enforcement. "These comments directly incite violence against women, which is a criminal offence," Philp wrote, requesting criminal investigations into the imams.
His colleague, Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy, has also written to the Crown Prosecution Service, calling for prosecutions of the preachers. Timothy cited previous CPS actions against police officers for sending misogynistic messages and against Christian street preachers for controversial remarks.
The Metropolitan Police have stated they are 'assessing' a complaint against the Hackney mosque. A spokesperson for Green Lane Masjid told the Mail on Sunday that the institution 'unequivocally rejects violence, domestic abuse, coercion and all other forms of violence and abuse.' Representatives from the Hackney Islamic Community Centre and An-Noor Masjid did not respond to requests for comment.