The job ad, posted on the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) official “Find a Job” website, sought a full-time Sharia Law Administrator to work in person in Didsbury, Manchester. The permanent position offered a salary of £23,500 (around $31,500 USD) and required a university degree in Sharia law along with experience working in a Sharia court abroad.
“This job requires someone with experience working in a sharia law court abroad and preferably someone who has studied or is studying a university degree in sharia law,” the ad stated. It also added: “You will need to be someone who understands boundaries and does not get emotionally involved with people’s cases.”
The listing described the employer as Manchester Community Centre, and noted that applicants would need “a strong personality” and the ability to handle “a variety of different cases.”
Critics were quick to condemn the job posting. Independent MP Rupert Lowe wrote to the new Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall, urging her to explain why her department allowed the role to be promoted on a government-run platform.
“This advert is alarming,” Lowe wrote, reports the Daily Mail. “The DWP is promoting and facilitating the embedding of a parallel legal system in the United Kingdom. Sharia law has no place operating as a recognised legal framework within our country. It undermines our centuries-old legal system, which is rooted in the common law.”
“This is not the kind of opportunity that our job centres should be recommending to jobseekers. The implication that the British taxpayer may be paying to embed Sharia law within our communities is disgusting.”
Reform UK’s Nigel Farage also reacted to the post on X, stating, “Our country and its values are being destroyed.”
In response to the criticism, a DWP spokesperson said the department was not responsible for the job itself and stressed that the posting came from an outside organisation.
“Find a Job is a free platform to help jobseekers find vacancies with employers from various sectors,” the spokesperson said. “This job was posted by an independent, registered charity and was removed once it was brought to our attention.”
As of Monday, the job listing was no longer visible on the government site. The webpage stated: "This job advert has been removed by the employer or a system administrator," per the Telegraph.
