A bland terraced house two doors along from a takeaway, it could hardly look more insignificant. But for thousands of Muslim Londoners, the decisions made behind its doors are anything but.
Formed in 1982, the Islamic Sharia Council in East London is one of at least five Sharia councils in the capital that offer rulings on a range of disputes, including major personal milestones like marriage and divorce.
That puts this building - however bland - right at the centre of an international debate that has drawn in none other than Donald Trump, who used a speech at the UN to suggest London wants 'to go to Sharia law' under its 'terrible' mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan.
Donald Trump used a speech at the UN to suggest London wants 'to go to Sharia law' under its 'terrible' mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan
While any claim London is moving its legal system to Sharia is obviously false, the president's comments touch a nerve given growing public concern about the influence of Islamic law over the capital's Muslim communities.
They also coincide with broader fears that Islam itself may be receiving favourable treatment in English courts, after a judge convicted protester Hamit Coskun of a public order offence for burning a Koran.
The charge for the offence, which the judge said was motivated by 'hostility' towards Muslims, was seized upon by free speech campaigners, who claimed it amounted to a 'back door' blasphemy law.
Their fury only increased after a Muslim man who slashed Coskun with a knife during the incident was spared jail. While the judge was following sentencing guidelines, it prompted claims that religious radicals were being 'given the green light to take the law into their own hands'.
National Secular Society chief executive Stephen Evans also criticised Coskun's prosecution, saying: 'Free expression should never be met with violence. Criticism or destruction of religious texts, however offensive to some, is a legitimate form of protest.'
But back to Sharia law and its controversial status in Britain's biggest city. The term refers to a body of religious law inspired by Islam's holy scriptures, including the Koran and hadith (sayings of the prophet Mohammed).
A 2017 Home Office review found 85 Sharia councils - which interpret this law to pass judgments, known as hadiths, were operating in the UK, prompting the country to be described as 'the Sharia court capital of the West'.
London was described as a hub for Islamic religious law in Britain, alongside Birmingham, Bradford and Dewsbury. Many believe the estimate on the number of British Sharia councils is an underestimate, with many being unofficial outfits based in the back rooms of mosques.
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