Islamic leaders “urgently” need to explain what they mean by the term Sharia to prevent “fear of the public lash,” according to a member of the Bradford Council of Mosques.

Ishtiaq Ahmed feels that although the UK is generally tolerant in allowing Muslims to freely practice their faith, the ideas behind Sharia need to be better explained if the community wants to move ahead with proposed Sharia councils.

He described the recent debate over the issue as “intense, fraught and multi-dimensional.”

Sharia is the moral code and religious law of Islam, and it recently hit the headlines when plans were announced to introduce a Sharia council in Bradford, which would deal with matters like marriage break-ups.

The move was particularly criticised by Keighley MP Kris Hopkins, who felt it would undermine the UK legal system. Last week he led a Parliamentary debate in which he argued that such councils should not be supported by the Government.

The Council of Mosques has since accused Mr Hopkins of misrepresenting their wishes, and insist that Sharia councils would only be there for guidance, and not to supersede UK law.

Mr Ahmed says there is a great deal of misunderstanding over the issue, but some of the responsibility for this lies with the Muslim community itself.

He said: “In the absence of an Islamic State, or where the state allows no provision for the Islamic community, the compliance of Sharia is a matter for personal discretion. This may be supported and guided by a community-based faith infrastructure, for example, Mosques, Sharia Councils or similar bodies.

“The anxiety is due partly to the misinterpretation of the Islamic community’s intentions, and the British establishment’s fear of public lash and not to be seen to be making concessions towards the Islamic community.

“The Islamic leadership must share some of the responsibility for the situation by not defining and stating its objectives clearly regarding the Islamic Sharia compliance in Britain.

“The need to do this is paramount and urgent.

“There is also a strong case for making the work of Sharia Councils more open and transparent to dispel fears that anyone may have about their roles and functions.”