The Metropolitan Police has confirmed a review will take place over a decision not to treat an imam’s public prayer to “curse the Jews” and “ruin their houses” as a crime.
Footage of the sermon, given by a preacher at an east London mosque, was aired on television as part of an investigation into antisemitic hate speech.
In response to the 2023 investigation the Met said that it had been decided, after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, that the cleric’s sermon, which contained the wording of an Islamic prayer, “did not meet the threshold of a crime”.
Defending the decision not to prosecute the imam, the Met told the JC newspaper “specialist officers worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to assess the video”.
But on Wednesday, following renewed complaints about the decision, the Met posted on X:”We recognise the significant concerns around our decision and we will review this outcome urgently.”
In his sermon at an east London mosque, the imam told his followers: “Oh Allah, curse the Jews and the children of Israel. Oh Allah, curse the infidels and the polytheists.
“Oh Allah, break their words, shake their feet, disperse and tear apart their unity and ruin their houses and destroy their homes.”
Jewish News understands the fact that the words were taken from a prayer, rather than being part of a direct address to the mosque’s congregation, may have influenced the original decision not to pursue the case as a hate crime.
There are examples of the same prayer being read out in mosques before, and religious texts of all faiths often contain language that is clearly inappropriate for modern society.
But evidence that a religious leader was using an offensive text in an effort to provoke his congregation would also have to influence any decision in regards to a possible hate crime.
The Met originally said that while the video of the sermon from the east London mosque was “upsetting” after review “the entire sermon, including the wording, context and narrative have been reviewed and officers concluded that it does not meet the threshold of a crime”.
Among those to criticise the decision not to pursue a hate speech case against the imam were the Community Security Trust.
The CST said “many people in the Jewish community and beyond will struggle to understand why it is not possible to prosecute this type of hate speech”.
Lord Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, also urged the force to “reinvestigate” the case.
Mann said he would also be “raising the details of this specific case with the policing minister”.
