Sharia law NHS doctor has no regrets over Piers Morgan TV appearance

An NHS doctor who is the current chair of the British branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Islamist group which seeks to implement sharia law in the West, says he has no regrets about his appearance on Piers Morgan’s Talk TV show in which he described Hamas as a “resistance” group. Morgan described his comments as “bullshit” and said he could not believe a doctor would talk about the October 7 massacres of Israeli civilians in such a way.

Dr Abdul Wahid, who also uses the name Wahid Asif Shaida, practises in Harrow where he trains newly qualified doctors. In a heated conversation with Piers Morgan, he repeatedly questioned the veracity of events on October 7, saying “if” they had happened, he could comment. Nevertheless, in a clip played by Morgan from a different TV appearance, only days after the attacks on Israel, the doctor described them as “a very welcome punch on the nose”.

Morgan also played a clip in which Dr Wahid addressed a crowd in his capacity as Hizb ut-Tahrir leader while appearing to rouse people to chant the word “Jihad”.

In social media posts after his appearance, Dr Wahid said that he “knew” that Morgan’s “attack would be personal, that he would frame it in terms of extremism”. He believed, however, that it was “important” to make the point that the 7 October attacks “were not the first time it happened… and that when people resist, it’s a right”.

Writing on Twitter/X, the doctor said: “Why not just say ‘I condemn’ the things alleged to have happened? Because the so many things alleged to have happened on the 7th October have been unproven, disputed or shown to be false. So to condemn what is not certain is like endorsing the accusations & used maliciously”.

Piers Morgan asked Dr Wahid if his patients were aware of his views or if he shared his opinions during consultations. The doctor insisted this would never happen in the course of “a 10-minute consultation” at the GP surgery where he works.

Morgan has subsequently posted several Twitter/X comments about the confrontation with the doctor, whose views he angrily rejected.

A spokesman for the General Medical Council told Jewish News that the GMC was “aware of the concerns that have been raised”, but added that it could not “confirm whether we are investigating a doctor unless they have been interim suspended or have interim conditions following a hearing of the Interim Orders Tribunal (IOT) at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service”.

In a detailed statement, the spokesman also said that the GMC “can and will investigate serious concerns that suggest patient safety or the public’s confidence in doctors may be at risk and will take action where it is necessary”.

Citing guidelines on good medical practice dating from 2013, the spokesman said that “doctors must not express their personal beliefs (including political, religious, and moral beliefs) to patients in ways that are likely to cause them distress.  And they must not unfairly discriminate against patients or colleagues by allowing their personal views to affect their professional relationships or the treatment they provide or arrange.

“If we were to receive a complaint or a self-referral about the actions of a doctor involved in a protest or commenting on social media, we would have a legal duty to consider the issues raised. As with all complaints, we would make our decision based on the specific facts of the case, using the professional standards that apply to all doctors registered to practise in the UK, to assess whether the doctor’s actions have fallen seriously or persistently below the standards we expect”.