What was claimed
Sadiq Khan posed with a Sharia Zone leaflet.
Our verdict
The image has been edited. The original image didn’t feature Mr Khan or leaflets on Sharia zones.
Sadiq Khan did not pose for photos with a Sharia zone leaflet
9 July 2019
An image which claims to show Sadiq Khan holding a leaflet promoting a ‘Sharia zone’—supposedly an area governed by Islamic law—in the UK has been shared hundreds of times on Facebook.
The photo is actually an edited image, originally from a 2017 ITV news story about synthetic cannabinoids being classified as Class B drugs. Mr Khan’s head has been edited onto another man, and the drugs were replaced with images of leaflets on Sharia zones.
The leaflets as seen in the image look similar to those that appeared in some parts of London in the early 2010s.
It should be noted that there are no Sharia law zones in the UK. There are Sharia councils, which have no legal jurisdiction and provide services like religious divorces and guidance.