More than 200 imams and Islamic scholars from across the UK have expressed deep concern over recent political remarks by international leaders on Palestinian statehood, warning that such statements risk devaluing the Palestinian struggle.
In a joint statement issued today, the faith leaders criticised UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for allegedly using the question of Palestinian statehood as a “bargaining tool” during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Such a move risks devaluing the Palestinian cause and appears to prioritise political expediency over meaningful justice,” the statement said.
The signatories, which include prominent figures such as Dr Haitham al-Haddad, Shaykh Zahir Mahmood and Shaykh Asrar Rashid, also took aim at recent declarations by France, Britain and Canada about recognising a “viable” Palestinian state. They described these pledges as “conditional, vague, and ultimately insufficient,” warning that symbolic gestures alone would fail to address the root causes of “Zionist occupation and displacement.”
The scholars further voiced concern over reported plans to impose the Palestinian Authority control over Gaza as part of wider regional normalisation deals, insisting that “any future governance structure in Palestine must be determined by the Palestinian people themselves, free from external pressure or coercion.”
Calls for justice and action
The imams reaffirmed the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and to choose their own leadership without foreign interference. They also underscored that, under international law, Palestinians have “the right to resist Zionist military occupation using legitimate means of defence.”
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“Any future peace must be grounded in justice, not imposed terms or token recognition,” they said, urging the global community to focus on ending decades of occupation, displacement, and violence rather than issuing hollow political statements.
The statement called on Muslims to support Palestinians through humanitarian aid, lawful boycotts of companies complicit in Israeli occupation, and by exposing attempts to “legitimise Zionist injustice under religious or political cover.”
Double standards
The imams also condemned what they described as a “double standard” in the UK’s treatment of pro-Palestine activists compared to those who join the Israeli army.
“While foreign nationals are permitted to join the Zionist military forces and return to the UK without scrutiny — even in cases where allegations of war crimes have been raised — British Muslims are increasingly targeted for expressing solidarity with the victims of this conflict,” the statement said.
The scholars concluded by calling for a just and principled resolution to the conflict, one that respects international law, human rights, and the dignity of all people in the region.
Full list of signatories
1. Dr Haitham al-Haddad, London
2. Dr Mufti Abdur Rahman, London
3. Shaykh Zahir Mahmood, Birmingham
4. Shaykh Asrar Rashid, Birmingham
5. Shaykh Muhammad Yasir Al-Hanafi, Aylesbury
6. Dr Mufti Yusuf Shabbir, Blackburn
7. Dr Anas Altikriti, CEO & Founder, The Cordoba Foundation
8. Dr Azzam Tamimi, Islamic Intellect
9. Imam Shakeel Begg, London
10. Imam Ashraf Dabous, London
11. Imam Muhammad Tahir, London
12. Dr Zeeshan Chaudri, London
13. Imam Jamil Jeeva, London
14. Imam Mohammed Nadat, London
15. Imam Afzal Ahmed, London
16. Imam Aadil Jabir London
17. Imam Abdul Mateen London
18. Imam Abu Aasiyah Muhammad, London
19. Imam Qasim Hussain London
20. Imam Abu Muhammad London
21. Imam Shah Shuaib London
22. Imam Taj Uddin London
23. Imam Muhammad Anas Khan London
24. Imam Shah Muaz ahmed London
25. Shaykh Ammar al-Madani Manchester
26. Imam Omar Hajaj London
27. Imam Mustafa Razzak, Birmingham
28. Imam Bodrul Hussain , London
29. Imam Ajmal Hussain St Albans City
30. Imam Siddiq Rahman Walsall
31. Imam Muhammad Anas London
32. Dr Osman Latiff Slough
33. Mufti Mohammed Dilwar Hussain London
34. Mufti Shah Hamzah London
35. Imam Mujahid Ali London
36. Imam Shah Muhammed Anas London
37. Imam Usman Adam Blackburn
38. Imam Muhammad Panchbhaya Glasgow
39. Imam Abu Sorwar Toki London
40. Imam Amir Khan Glasgow
41. Moulana Ismail Bulbulia Dewsbury
42. Ustadha Fatima Patel Manchester
43. Imam Choudry Mohammed Imran Wakefield
44. Imam Hassan Patel Bolton
45. Imam Ahmed Zaman Birmingham
46. Maulana Anwar Shaikh Coventry
47. Imam Inamulhasan Blackburn
48. Imam M Uthman Rochdale
49. Imam Mohammed Khalilullah Al-Masud Birmingham
50. Dr S M Zubair Rahim I Birmingham
51. Imam Azhar Mohammed Birmingham
52. Imam Mohammed Islam Birmingham
53. Imam Mahmood Hussain Walsall
54. Imam Mohammed Kawsar Ahmed Luton
55. Imam Huzayfah Mangera London
56. Imam Sameer Khan Birmingham
57. Imam Rizwan Rashid Birmingham
58. Shaykh Muminur Rahman Oldham
59. Imam Abdullah Fahim Birmingham
60. Shaykh Muhim Khan Oldham
61. Shaykh Abu Khalid Sunderland
62. Shaykh Abdullah Al-Mubeen Oldham
63. Shaykh Abdul Kayyum Oldham
64. Shaykh Saifur Rahman Oldham
65. Shaykh Fuad Ahmad Oldham
66. Shaykh Akmal Hussain Oldham
67. Shaykh Muzammil Hossain Oldham
68. Shaykh Tahir Khan and Oldham
69. Shaykh Siddiqur Rahman Oldham
70. Imam Ali-Haider Abdul Rashid Sheffield
71. Imam Mohammed Fahim Uddin Birmingham
72. Imam Ali Ahmad London
73. Maulana Mohammed Dawood London
74. Imam Ashraf Ali Birmingham
75. Imam Junaid Javid Zaman Birmingham
76. Imam Mohammed Mustafa Isakji Birmingham
77. Imam Yoonus Luton
78. H M Abdul Mateen Khandoker Milton Keynes
79. Imam Amir Sajjad Nottingham
80. Imam Abbas Afzal Wednesbury
81. Imam Mohammed Patel Leicester
82. Dr Wasim Mir Birmingham
83. Imam Abdul Gaffar London
84. Ustadha Maryam bint Abdur Rahman Khalisadar London
85. Imam Zayd Tutla Leicester
86. Mufti Zubair Patel London
87. Imam Abdurrahman Vania Coventry
88. Imam Muhammad Abdur-Rahman Birmingham
89. Imam Muhammad Patel London
90. Imam Yusuf Collector Bradford
91. Imam Areeb Khan Birmingham
92. Mufti Mohammed Haroon Hussain Birmingham
93. Imam Abdul G Salloo Stoke-On-Trent
94. Imam Tarik Miah Birmingham
95. Imam Mohammed Enamul Hoque Farhan Luton
96. Imam Asif Afsar Birmingham
97. Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Nawab London
98. Ustadha Fatima Patel Blackburn
99. Imam Mohammed Yahya Sidyot Manchester
100. Imam Syed Yunus Islam London
101. Imam Muhammad Hussain London
102. Imam Mohammed Farook Kazi Preston
103. Imam Imtiaz lorgat Birmingham
104. Imam Muhammad Fahad Birmingham
105. Imam Omar Salloo Bolton
106. Shaykh Khalil London
107. Imam Suhayb Qayyum Birmingham
108. Imam Sajad Mahmood Birmingham
109. Imam Abu bakar Bagas London
110. Imam Masood khan Birmingham
111. Imam Ismail Mohammed Preston
112. Imam Ayaaz Chikhalia London
113. Mol Abu Bakr Khan Bradford
114. Imam Sajid Patel London
115. Imam Vahab Bhikhi London
116. Imam Mohammed Hadi Quraishi London
117. Imam Muhammad Shuaib Birmingham
118. Mufti Ismail ibn Nazir Satia Blackburn
119. Imam Hamzah Ibrahim London
120. Mufti Yousaf Baig Batley
121. Ustadha Fatima Lambat Blackburn BB18EX
122. Maulana Muhammad Uddin Birmingham
123. Moulana Mohammad Painda Khan Bradford
124. Ustadha Zeina El-Debs Manchester
125. Molana Mohammed Sadiq Mayat Bradford
126. Imam Liaquat zaman Birmingham
127. Imam Ahmed Bhana Bradford
128. Ustadha Atiyya Akujee Manchester
129. Imam Imranur Rahman Tawheedi London
130. Imam Ebrahim Bhikha Birmingham
131. Imam Omar Ghanchi Leicester
132. Shaykh Muhammad Taaha London
133. Imam Sufyaan Shaikh Wolverhampton
134. Imam Zakir patel Leicester
135. Maulana Ebrahim Noor Coventry
136. Moulana Zahid Musa Leicester
137. Mohammed Lockhat Leicester
138. Imam Idris sheikh Bradford
139. Imam Athar Mahmood Rochdale
140. Imam Yusuf Ali Blackburn
141. Imam Imtiaz Mussa Bradford
142. Imam Usamah patel Bradford
143. Imam Adam Alibhai London
144. Dr Syed Mutaheer Ali Birmingham
145. Imam Umar Hussain Birmingham
146. Moulana Abdul Rahman Oldham
147. Ml Mohammed patel Blackburn
148. Mufti Atiqur Rahman Oldham
149. Imam Abrar Khan Bradford
150. Imam Imran Pandor Bradford
151. Imam Mahmood H Blackburn
152. Mawlana Muhammad Ammar Birmingham
153. Imam Abdussalam Walsall
154. Imam Muhammad Rahman London
155. Imam Ismail Hafejee Manchester
156. Imam Muhammad Ameen Gani Preston
157. Imam Zahid Malik Nuneaton
158. Imam Reyaz bismillah Bradford
159. Imam Shabbir Ahmed London
160. Imam Mohammad Al-Mausuf Bradford
161. Imam Abdullah Nakhuda Preston
162. Imam Salim Patel Plaistow
163. Imam Ismail Memi W-ton
164. Dr Afzal Mohammed Burton-on-Trent
165. Imam Ibrahim Saleem Plaistow
166. Imam Zakir Munshi London
167. Imam Umar Nawaz Bradford
168. Imam Humaid Yusuf Leicester
169. Imam Imran Mukerdam Nottingham
170. Molana Zubair Mangera Blackburn
171. Ustadha Umm Ibrahim Bolton
172. Imam Syed Maqsud-E-Elahi Sabir London
173. Imam Mohammed Moreea London
174. Imam Khalil Ahmed Leicester
175. Maulana Sayed Ahmed London
176. Imam Irfan Khalifa Coventry
177. Molana Talha Aziz Leicester
178. Imam Imtiaz Mahetar Leicester
179. Imam Mohammed Hasnath Birmingham
180. Imam Habib Khalil Manchester
181. Imam Muslehuddin Sa’di Randeri Birmingham
182. Maulana Mohammed Dawood London
183. Imam Muhammad Gora Batley
184. Imam Hafizur Rahman London
185. Ustadha Shaida Sheikh London
186. Imam Hafizur Rahman London
187. Moulana Sufyan Patel London
188. Imam Imran Abdul-Qayum London
189. Imam Qamar Uddin (Kamar Uddin) London
190. Imam Jamal Ahmed Birmingham
191. Moulana Haroon Ansari London
192. Zubair Usman London
193. Qari Muhammad Ridhwan, UK
194. Moulana Haroon Valli London
195. Imam Muaaz Vahora Luton
196. Dr Omar Jahangir London
197. Imam Zakaria auditor London
198. Moulana Sulaiman Ali London
199. Imam Rafiur Rahman London
200. Imam Jamil Dudhwala, London
201. Imam Abdur Rahman Abid Chelmsford
202. Maulana Younus Sayed London
203. Imam Azizur Rahman London
204. Moulana Akmal Hussain Oldham
