Muslim leader in Great Britain: «Man-made law is oppression»

«Because they are, as you know, a anathematisation of God's law. They are not applying it. They are violating its sanctity. And therefore, this is more against Allah and His Messenger. We are obliged, as Muslims, to take authority from the hands of those who hold it and to apply Sharia. However, I hope this can happen in a very peaceful way. I hope we can do it in a way, you know, without bloodshed. The Messenger Muhammad ﷺ said that if Muslims have the authority and the ability to remove oppression, they must do so. So we believe that man-made law is oppression, because they are enforcing a non-Islamic law and violating its own sanctity. Therefore, if we are in a position of power and authority, we are obliged to assume that authority with the minimum possible force and to apply Sharia, certainly. So, you know, that will be the case one day in Great Britain.»
The context of the statements
These words were spoken in an interview broadcast on the programme The Watchman, produced by the American network CBN News. In the conversation, Choudary argued that if Muslims obtained sufficient authority, they were obliged to introduce Sharia, Islamic law, in the United Kingdom. Although he qualified that he hoped this could happen “peacefully” and “without bloodshed”, his words were interpreted as an ideological justification for replacing democratic laws with religious ones.
Who is Anjem Choudary?
Anjem Choudary, born in London in 1967 to a Pakistani family, is an Islamist preacher known for his radical views. He was one of the founders of the group al-Muhajiroun, banned by the British authorities, and for years has advocated the implementation of Sharia law in Europe. In 2016 he was sentenced to prison for supporting the Islamic State and, more recently, in 2024 he received a life sentence for leading a terrorist organisation.
Currently imprisoned, Choudary remains a highly controversial figure and his trajectory exemplifies the debate in the United Kingdom over freedom of expression, national security and Islamist radicalisation.