US President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on both the United Nations and the state of illegal immigration in Western countries during a fiery address at the UN General Assembly in New York. Speaking for over an hour, far longer than the allotted 15 minutes, Trump accused the UN of actively funding illegal migration and warned that London had become the “Sharia capital of the West.”
Trump’s speech blended his long-standing opposition to uncontrolled immigration with claims of his own achievements on the global stage. He declared that Europe was heading toward collapse, describing the continent as moving toward “hell” under the strain of unchecked migrant inflows. In his view, Western nations were failing to protect their citizens because of political correctness, even as numbers of illegal immigrants continued to rise.
The President directed his sharpest words at the United Nations, charging that the global body had deviated from its founding responsibilities. He alleged that by providing financial assistance through money transfers, the UN was enabling illegal entry into the United States and undermining national sovereignty. According to Trump, the organisation should safeguard nations from invasions rather than facilitate them. He argued that uncontrolled immigration, supported indirectly by international institutions, was the greatest threat facing the modern world.
I LOOK AT LONDON WHERE THEY HAVE A TERRIBLE MAYOR. NOW THEY WANT TO GO TO SHARIA LAW!” — President Trump calls out London’s Muslim Mayor @MayorofLondon who has turned London into a cesspool of Muslim illegal aliens. Thank you, President Trump! Please crack down on Sharia Law pic.twitter.com/Bcp21qc4Zs
— RAGHUWANSHI 🚩 (@Ranjeetraghu_) September 23, 2025
Trump brands London the ‘Sharia capital of the west’
Alongside his criticism of the UN, Trump turned his attention to the United Kingdom, focusing on London as a symbol of what he portrayed as Western decline. He claimed that the city was being reshaped by Islamist influence and accused London Mayor Sadiq Khan of failing to protect its cultural character. Referring to London as the “Sharia capital of the West,” Trump said the spread of Sharia councils and religious tribunals had fundamentally altered the identity of the city.
The Islamic Sharia Council, set up in East London in 1982, is one of five such bodies in the capital that deliver rulings on disputes ranging from marriage to divorce. A 2017 Home Office review identified at least 85 Sharia councils across Britain, concentrated in London, Birmingham, Bradford, and Dewsbury. These tribunals issue religious rulings on family and financial disputes, operating outside the framework of criminal law. However, investigations have shown that women are often disadvantaged in these forums, with rulings reflecting discriminatory practices.
Trump cited the presence of these councils as evidence of what he described as the erosion of Western legal traditions. His remarks placed London at the centre of an international debate over religious law and integration. The President also linked his criticism to recent controversies in Britain’s courts. The conviction of protester Hamit Coskun for burning the Quran and the release of the man who stabbed him during the same incident have fuelled wider concerns over the treatment of religious disputes in English courts.
Supporters of secular governance argue that such cases reveal inconsistencies in the application of the law, and Trump used the example to underscore his argument that Western nations were surrendering to external pressures. He contrasted Britain’s tolerance of Sharia councils with the existence of Jewish religious tribunals, known as Beth Din, which resolve disputes under Jewish law but operate with limited influence. By highlighting the scale and operation of Islamic councils, Trump sought to paint a picture of London as the epicentre of Islamic legal authority in the West.
England, and particularly London, has far more Sharia councils than other European capitals.
Research and media reports indicate that Britain hosts around 85 Islamic councils nationwide, making it the largest concentration in any Western country and earning it the label “western… pic.twitter.com/2Egfxo9gA1
— David Lee (@david7000lee) September 23, 2025
Throughout his speech, Trump maintained that his own policies offered a successful alternative to what he described as Europe’s failures. He credited strict border controls and stringent immigration measures with strengthening American security, arguing that similar action was urgently required in other Western nations. He positioned himself as a defender of national sovereignty against what he portrayed as global institutions and local leaders unwilling to protect their citizens.
The President’s remarks sparked immediate reaction in international political circles, but his central message remained clear that uncontrolled immigration, facilitated by institutions like the UN and tolerated by leaders in cities such as London, posed an existential threat to Western civilisation. By branding London as the “Sharia capital of the West,” Trump not only escalated his long-running feud with Mayor Sadiq Khan but also sought to frame the British capital as the most visible symbol of what he claimed was the West’s collapse under the weight of illegal migration and religious influence.
