Haitham al-Haddad is a British jurist and Islamic scholar who was born in Saudi Arabia in 1966. He is currently the Chair and operations advisor and a trustee for the Muslim Research and Development Foundation, which has been described by the UK government’s counter-extremism commissioner, Sara Khan, as “the main Salafist organisation in the UK”. Al-Haddad also sits on the board of advisors for a number of Islamic organisations in the UK such as the Islamic Sharia Council. Having acquired the role of Islamic judge (faqih) and treasurer at the Islamic Council of Europe, Haitham delivers verdicts on several cases under the Islamic law.
Haitham earned a BSc Honours in Law and Sharia from Omdurman University in Khartoum, Sudan. He also holds a BSc in Computer Science from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Saudi Arabia) and a PhD in Islamic Law, titled “A critical analysis of selected aspects of Sunni Muslim minority fiqh, with particular reference to contemporary Britain”, from SOAS in London.
Haitham al-Haddad holds controversial views on different topics such as homosexuality which he describes as a “criminal act”, the role of a woman – stating that “the most honourable and worthy role for a woman is striving to be a fine wife…this role does not only secure the best for a woman in the hereafter, but also fits perfectly with her natural disposition”. Haddad also states that there is a “proper way” to perform female circumcision claiming that “it is consensus of all the scholars that female circumcision is sunnah”. He also declared that “a man should not be questioned why he hit his wife, because this is something between them”.
Evidence of Hate Speech/Incitement:
May 2016: When interviewed by the BBC, Haitham said that whoever leaves Islam is considered a traitor and should receive “capital punishment”.
June 2012: Haitham stated in an article he wrote that Japan’s tsunami is was a “punishment” and he said that “Allah created mankind so that they may worship Him in line with His monotheistic nature, and deviancy from such a clear purpose only serves to anger the Most High. It is true that Japan is not like the US or many of its allies in that it refrains from waging direct war against others, yet their failure was the lack of submission to Allah and refusing to admit that all of the favors they are blessed with are given to them by their Creator.”
March 2012: Haitham wrote an article entitled “Standing up against Homosexuality and LGBTs”, he stated that homosexuality is a “crime”.