All praises belong to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
We, the undersigned Imams and scholars from across the UK, express deep concern regarding recent political remarks made by international leaders concerning Palestinian statehood.
At a time when the people of Gaza are enduring unimaginable suffering, we believe these statements warrant scrutiny and clarification.
Devaluing the Palestinian cause
We are particularly dismayed by Sir Keir Starmer’s recent remarks, in which the question of Palestinian statehood appeared to be used as a bargaining tool in discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Such a move risks devaluing the Palestinian cause and appears to prioritise political expediency over meaningful justice.
Recognition of a Palestinian state
We also note with caution the recent declarations by France, the United Kingdom, and Canada regarding the future recognition of a “viable” Palestinian state.
While symbolic gestures may signal a shift in tone, we are concerned that they remain conditional, vague, and ultimately insufficient.
Recognition based on undefined or imposed criteria — particularly without addressing the root causes of Zionist occupation and displacement — risks entrenching the status quo rather than challenging it.
Normalisation, governance, resistance
We are further concerned by reported efforts to impose Palestinian Authority control over Gaza as part of wider regional normalisation agreements.
Any future governance structure in Palestine must be determined by the Palestinian people themselves, free from external pressure or coercion.
We affirm the following principles:
- The Palestinian people have the inalienable right to self-determination and to choose their own leadership without foreign interference.
- Under international law, they have the right to resist Zionist military occupation using legitimate means of defence.
- Any future peace must be grounded in justice, not imposed terms or token recognition.
We call upon all nations of conscience to work toward a just and lasting resolution to the conflict by addressing the root causes: decades of Zionist occupation, systemic displacement, and violence against the Palestinian people.
Serious action — not symbolic words — is needed to end what many now recognise as an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.
We also remind our fellow Muslims of their moral and religious responsibility to support the oppressed.
This includes:
- Providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in need.
- Peacefully challenging companies complicit in the Zionist occupation through legal boycotts and consumer awareness.
- Exposing those who seek to legitimise Zionist injustice under religious or political cover.
- Using expertise — whether in media, advocacy, or technology — to amplify truth and defend human dignity.
Double standards must be called out
Finally, we must not allow fear or intimidation to silence legitimate support for Palestinian rights.
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. This double standard must be challenged.
We call for a just, peaceful, and principled resolution — one that upholds international law, human rights, and the dignity of all people in the region.
Signatories
| Dr. Haitham al-Haddad | London |
| Dr. Mufti Abdur Rahman | London |
| Shaykh Zahir Mahmood | Birmingham |
| Shaykh Asrar Rashid | Birmingham |
| Shaykh Muhammad Yasir al-Hanafi | Aylesbury |
| Dr. Mufti Yusuf Shabbir | Blackburn |
| Dr. Anas Altikriti | CEO & Founder, The Cordoba Foundation |
| Dr. Azzam Tamimi | Islamic Intellect |
| Imam Shakeel Begg | London |
| Imam Ashraf Dabous | London |
| Imam Muhammad Tahir | London |
| Dr. Zeeshan Chaudri | London |
| Imam Jamil Jeeva | London |
| Imam Mohammed Nadat | London |
| Imam Afzal Ahmed | London |
| Imam Aadil Jabir | London |
| Imam Abdul Mateen | London |
| Imam Abu Aasiyah Muhammad | London |
| Imam Qasim Hussain | London |
| Imam Abu Muhammad | London |
| Imam Shah Shuaib | London |
| Imam Taj Uddin | London |
| Imam Muhammad Anas Khan | London |
| Imam Shah Muaz Ahmed | London |
| Shaykh Ammar al-Madani | Manchester |
| Imam Omar Hajaj | London |
| Imam Mustafa Razzak | Birmingham |
| Imam Bodrul Hussain | London |
| Imam Ajmal Hussain | St. Albans |
| Imam Siddiq Rahman | Walsall |
| Imam Muhammad Anas | London |
| Dr. Osman Latiff | Slough |
| Mufti Mohammed Dilwar Hussain | London |
| Mufti Shah Hamzah | London |
| Imam Mujahid Ali | London |
| Imam Shah Muhammed Anas | London |
| Imam Usman Adam | Blackburn |
| Imam Muhammad Panchbhaya | Glasgow |
| Imam Abu Sorwar Toki | London |
| Imam Amir Khan | Glasgow |
| Maulana Ismail Bulbulia | Dewsbury |
| Ustadha Fatima Patel | Manchester |
| Imam Choudry Mohammed Imran | Wakefield |
| Imam Hassan Patel | Bolton |
| Imam Ahmed Zaman | Birmingham |
| Maulana Anwar Shaikh | Coventry |
| Imam Inamulhasan | Blackburn |
| Imam M Uthman | Rochdale |
| Imam Mohammed Khalilullah al-Masud | Birmingham |
| Dr. S M Zubair Rahim | Birmingham |
| Imam Azhar Mohammed | Birmingham |
| Imam Mohammed Islam | Birmingham |
| Imam Mahmood Hussain | Walsall |
| Imam Mohammed Kawsar Ahmed | Luton |
| Imam Huzayfah Mangera | London |
| Imam Sameer Khan | Birmingham |
| Imam Rizwan Rashid | Birmingham |
| Shaykh Muminur Rahman | Oldham |
| Imam Abdullah Fahim | Birmingham |
| Shaykh Muhim Khan | Oldham |
| Shaykh Abu Khalid | Sunderland |
| Shaykh Abdullah al-Mubeen | Oldham |
| Shaykh Abdul Kayyum | Oldham |
| Shaykh Saifur Rahman | Oldham |
| Shaykh Fuad Ahmad | Oldham |
| Shaykh Akmal Hussain | Oldham |
| Shaykh Muzammil Hossain | Oldham |
| Shaykh Tahir Khan | Oldham |
| Shaykh Siddiqur Rahman | Oldham |
| Imam Ali-Haider Abdul Rashid | Sheffield |
| Imam Mohammed Fahim Uddin | Birmingham |
| Imam Ali Ahmad | London |
| Maulana Mohammed Dawood | London |
| Imam Ashraf Ali | Birmingham |
| Imam Junaid Javid Zaman | Birmingham |
| Imam Mohammed Mustafa Isakji | Birmingham |
| Imam Yoonus | Luton |
| H M Abdul Mateen Khandoker | Milton Keynes |
| Imam Amir Sajjad | Nottingham |
| Imam Abbas Afzal | Wednesbury |
| Imam Mohammed Patel | Leicester |
| Dr. Wasim Mir | Birmingham |
| Imam Abdul Gaffar | London |
| Ustadha Maryam bint Abdur Rahman Khalisadar | London |
| Imam Zayd Tutla | Leicester |
| Mufti Zubair Patel | London |
| Imam Abdurrahman Vania | Coventry |
| Imam Muhammad Abdur-Rahman | Birmingham |
| Imam Muhammad Patel | London |
| Imam Yusuf Collector | Bradford |
| Imam Areeb Khan | Birmingham |
| Mufti Mohammed Haroon Hussain | Birmingham |
| Imam Abdul G Salloo | Stoke-On-Trent |
| Imam Tarik Miah | Birmingham |
| Imam Mohammed Enamul Hoque Farhan | Luton |
| Imam Asif Afsar | Birmingham |
| Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Nawab | London |
| Ustadha Fatima Patel | Blackburn |
| Imam Mohammed Yahya Sidyot | Manchester |
| Imam Syed Yunus Islam | London |
| Imam Muhammad Hussain | London |
| Imam Mohammed Farook Kazi | Preston |
| Imam Imtiaz Lorgat | Birmingham |
| Imam Muhammad Fahad | Birmingham |
| Imam Omar Salloo | Bolton |
| Shaykh Khalil | London |
| Imam Suhayb Qayyum | Birmingham |
| Imam Sajad Mahmood | Birmingham |
| Imam Abu Bakar Bagas | London |
| Imam Masood Khan | Birmingham |
| Imam Ismail Mohammed | Preston |
| Imam Ayaaz Chikhalia | London |
| Mawlana Abu Bakr Khan | Bradford |
| Imam Sajid Patel | London |
| Imam Vahab Bhikhi | London |
| Imam Mohammed Hadi Quraishi | London |
| Imam Muhammad Shuaib | Birmingham |
| Mufti Ismail ibn Nazir Satia | Blackburn |
| Imam Hamzah Ibrahim | London |
| Mufti Yousaf Baig | Batley |
| Ustadha Fatima Lambat | Blackburn |
| Maulana Muhammad Uddin | Birmingham |
| Maulana Mohammad Painda Khan | Bradford |
| Ustadha Zeina El-Debs | Manchester |
| Maulana Mohammed Sadiq Mayat | Bradford |
| Imam Liaquat Zaman | Birmingham |
| Imam Ahmed Bhana | Bradford |
| Ustadha Atiyya Akujee | Manchester |
| Imam Imranur Rahman Tawheedi | London |
| Imam Ebrahim Bhikha | Birmingham |
| Imam Omar Ghanchi | Leicester |
| Shaykh Muhammad Taaha | London |
| Imam Sufyaan Shaikh | Wolverhampton |
| Imam Zakir Patel | Leicester |
| Maulana Ebrahim Noor | Coventry |
| Maulana Zahid Musa | Leicester |
| Mohammed Lockhat | Leicester |
| Imam Idris Sheikh | Bradford |
| Imam Athar Mahmood | Rochdale |
| Imam Yusuf Ali | Blackburn |
| Imam Imtiaz Mussa | Bradford |
| Imam Usamah Patel | Bradford |
| Imam Adam Alibhai | London |
| Dr. Syed Mutaheer Ali | Birmingham |
| Imam Umar Hussain | Birmingham |
| Maulana Abdul Rahman | Oldham |
| Maulana Mohammed Patel | Blackburn |
| Mufti Atiqur Rahman | Oldham |
| Imam Abrar Khan | Bradford |
| Imam Imran Pandor | Bradford |
| Imam Mahmood H | Blackburn |
| Maulana Muhammad Ammar | Birmingham |
| Imam Abdussalam | Walsall |
| Imam Muhammad Rahman | London |
| Imam Ismail Hafejee | Manchester |
| Imam Muhammad Ameen Gani | Preston |
| Imam Zahid Malik | Nuneaton |
| Imam Reyaz Bismillah | Bradford |
| Imam Shabbir Ahmed | London |
| Imam Mohammad al-Mausuf | Bradford |
| Imam Abdullah Nakhuda | Preston |
| Imam Salim Patel | Plaistow |
| Imam Ismail Memi | W-ton |
| Dr. Afzal Mohammed | Burton-on-Trent |
| Imam Ibrahim Saleem | Plaistow |
| Imam Zakir Munshi | London |
| Imam Umar Nawaz | Bradford |
| Imam Humaid Yusuf | Leicester |
| Imam Imran Mukerdam | Nottingham |
| Maulana Zubair Mangera | Blackburn |
| Ustadha Umm Ibrahim | Bolton |
| Imam Syed Maqsud-E-Elahi Sabir | London |
| Imam Mohammed Moreea | London |
| Imam Khalil Ahmed | Leicester |
| Maulana Sayed Ahmed | London |
| Imam Irfan Khalifa | Coventry |
| Maulana Talha Aziz | Leicester |
| Imam Imtiaz Mahetar | Leicester |
| Imam Mohammed Hasnath | Birmingham |
| Imam Habib Khalil | Manchester |
| Imam Muslehuddin Sa’di Randeri | Birmingham |
| Maulana Mohammed Dawood | London |
| Imam Muhammad Gora | Batley |
| Ustadha Shaida Sheikh | London |
| Imam Hafizur Rahman | London |
| Maulana Sufyan Patel | London |
| Imam Imran Abdul-Qayum | London |
| Imam Qamar Uddin (Kamar Uddin) | London |
| Imam Jamal Ahmed | Birmingham |
| Maulana Haroon Ansari | London |
| Zubair Usman | London |
| Qari Muhammad Ridhwan | UK |
| Maulana Haroon Valli | London |
| Imam Muaaz Vahora | Luton |
| Dr. Omar Jahangir | London |
| Imam Zakaria Auditor | London |
| Maulana Sulaiman Ali | London |
| Imam Rafiur Rahman | London |
| Imam Jamil Dudhwala | London |
| Imam Abdur Rahman Abid | Chelmsford |
| Maulana Younus Sayed | London |
| Imam Azizur Rahman | London |
| Maulana Akmal Hussain | Oldham |
Source: Islam21c
