Secret 'Sharia court' claims are rejected

Muslim leaders have dismissed reports that a secret Sharia court is operating in Burton as "nonsense" and "completely misleading". The Imam Jamia mosque, in Princess Street, is included in a list of centres which are alleged to put members breaking Islamic law on trial, independently of the Crown Prosecution Service.

The list was produced by researchers working on a report on Sharia courts in the UK. It was not included in the final report but was highlighted in regional newspaper The Sunday Mercury this week. However, prominent Muslims in Burton say the list, compiled following a study by think tank Civitas, is "nonsense".

Burton Mail, 8 July 2009