The MIC advertised for an administration role within our Shariah (religious service) section. Some individuals on the far-right and politicians have maliciously misinformed the public about this post to incite hate and for political gain, or out of ignorance. We wish to clarify the situation. 

1. This is not a government-funded post; the mosque pays for it out of community donations. The DWP advertises many jobs to help people obtain employment. It is an administrative role, and they advertised the job for local people. It was open to anyone to apply. 
2. We do not operate outside UK law or operate a parallel legal system which would be unlawful. We operate within UK law and all our policies reflect respect for UK laws. 
3. Under the law, some different faith communities operate a religious arbitration and counselling service within the law. 
4. The term Sharia law is misleading; it is not a legal court. Instead, it offers members of the Muslim communities two separate services – civil arbitration and religious guidance on numerous religious matters – neither of which constitutes a parallel legal system. Under the Arbitration Act (1996), all British citizens have the right to resolve civil – and not criminal or family – disputes through arbitration. They cannot provide rulings contrary to the law, but can resolve disputes. 
5. Some mosques in Manchester are registered to provide lawful civil marriages and perform a religious marriage as part of a lawfully conducted marriage service. 
6. It has been suggested in one online post that we are going to charge Christians for being non-Muslims. This is incorrect, inflammatory and xenophobic. There is no desire, intention or capability to demand taxes from anyone. 
7. We have reported online misinformation and threats to the Police. We will continue to do so, whether they are ordinary people or politicians. We intend to pursue those who spread false information under the Malicious Communications Act and the Online Safety Act. 
8. We have withdrawn the job in question and have asked the DWP to remove it from its website. The job advert will be reworded to avoid future misunderstanding. 

Islamic Centre Manchester