Trump's UN speech: what he said about London, oil and the UK's green policies

"Trump said: I look at London, where you have a terrible mayor, terrible, terrible mayor, and it's been changed, it's been so changed. Now they want to go to sharia law. But you are in a different country, you can't do that. There is no evidence that Khan, a member of the soft left of the Labour party who defines himself as a liberal and progressive, wishes to introduce any form of sharia law in London."

"Sharia, Islam's legal system, is derived from the Quran and the sayings of the prophet Muhammad. The term sharia law is generally applied to countries such as Saudi Arabia and Taliban-run Afghanistan, and is associated with harsh criminal punishments and strict codes of conduct, particularly for women. Interpretations, however, vary. Sharia councils, also known as sharia courts, have existed in pockets of the UK, including London, since the 1980s."

"Rightwing memes have long claimed that Khan plans to introduce sharia law. In 2020, photos with a quote attributed to Khan read: We are trialling shakira [sic] law in three of London's boroughs right now. We will then roll it out in the remaining thirty next year. The post, which misspelt it as shakira, was falsely attributed to Khan, the mayor's office said."

Donald Trump asserted that London has been "changed" under a "terrible" mayor and alleged the city "wants to go to sharia law." There is no evidence that Sadiq Khan intends to introduce sharia law; Khan is a Labour politician who describes himself as liberal and progressive. Sharia originates from the Quran and Hadith and is associated in some countries with harsh punishments, though interpretations vary. Sharia councils in the UK have existed since the 1980s and provide non-binding advisory rulings on personal and religious matters. False social media posts have falsely attributed a fabricated quote about "trialling shakira law" to Khan. Recent mayoral statistics show falls in theft, robbery and burglary. Political tensions between Khan and Trump date back to 2015 and include disputes over travel bans and responses to terror attacks.

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