UK ministers urged to investigate forced religious conversions in prisons

Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy has called on ministers to investigate reports of Muslim gangs forcing white prisoners to convert to Islam in England and Wales. Ministry of Justice data indicates that one in five Muslims in these prisons is white, a rate nearly four times higher than the 5.8 per cent found in the general population.

Government advisers and experts have raised concerns regarding forced conversions driven by violence or intimidation. Jonathan Hall KC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, reported evidence of Islamist terrorists acting as ‘self-styled emirs’ to control inmates. This recruitment process reportedly targets vulnerable or lonely prisoners through the offering of food, material gifts, or guidance, sometimes backed by implicit or actual violence.

The report highlighted previous instances involving convicted terrorists, such as Usman Khan and Sudesh Amman, who allegedly threatened inmates in attempts to radicalize or convert them.