A new organization calling itself the Islamic Labour Party of Ireland launched this week, with Islamic values and Sharia as its guiding religious principles.
The Irish Electoral Commission - which holds the list of the all registered parties - confirmed to The Jerusalem Post that the organization is not registered as a political party on the Register of Political Parties and is not in any correspondence with the commission.
Additionally, the Post found that the website domain islamicparty.ie has been registered since 2 October 2025, more than a year before the apparent launch.
It has nevertheless been circulating on social media since its launch on Tuesday, with many social media users commenting with concerned messages and hypothesizing about a sharia law takeover in Ireland.
The Islamic Labour Party of Ireland's website contains a constitution in Arabic and English.
Islamic Labour Party outlines goals of Muslim representation and social reform in Ireland
In this, the 'party' lists its objectives as: "Representing the voice of the Muslim community in Ireland and defending its rights and interests; Working towards the economic and social reform of the country from an Islamic perspective and values that achieve justice, development, and prosperity for all citizens and residents."
Only Muslim men holding Irish citizenship are eligible to be a party leader. They must also have proven and recognized contributions and achievements in Islamic work, and extensive knowledge of Sharia (Islamic jurisprudence).
Article 9 of the constitution also restricts membership to adult Muslims and requires a recommendation from a mosque or Islamic center.
Although it is not registered as an official party, the website claims to have established a shadow government "tasked with developing the plans and strategies necessary to govern the country, the following conditions shall apply" on Jumada al-Awwal 1448 AH, an Islamic calendar date that corresponds to 16 October 2026.
While the website does claim to have a Secretary-General, this individual is not named, nor does the site list any other members of the 'party.'
Additionally, different names for the party appear in different sections of the website: at times it's called Islamic Party of Ireland, at others the Islamic Party for Labour and Youth in Ireland and, as mentioned, Islamic Labour Party of Ireland.
The Post also found a video connected to the Islamic Party of Ireland. A man, speaking in Arabic, identifies the channel as the Islamic Party of Ireland and presents it as a voice for the Muslim community and immigrants.
He then calls for economic and social reform from an Islamic perspective. Much of the five-and-a-half-minute address concerns anti-Muslim hostility, attacks on immigrants and criticism of the Irish Government and police.
Claiming to be a party, even if it is not registered, is not necessarily illegal.
Irish law requires party registration to contest elections under party name
The Electoral Commission's guidance says that parties must be entered on the Register to contest Dáil, European Parliament or local elections under their party name.
However, candidates from an unregistered party can still stand; they simply must appear on the ballot paper as non-party candidates, and the party's emblem cannot appear either.
The registration requirements are also quite specific. For a party seeking to contest elections nationally, it generally needs at least 300 recorded members aged 18 or over, at least half of whom must be registered to vote. It must also have an appropriate constitution and internal organizational structure.
The Commission's response to the Post establishes that the party is not registered for electoral purposes, but it does not, by itself, establish that the organization is prohibited from operating, describing itself as a party, or campaigning.
Follow us on GoogleSource: The Jerusalem Post · MATHILDA HELLER
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