A popular hotel in London, which recently “introduced Sharia Law” in its daily operations, clarified to the media that it would continue to accept same-sex couples as guests. Bermondsey Square Hotel, located in Southwark, stopped serving alcohol and pig meat starting mid November, after its new multimillionaire Muslim owner said he would not want to generate revenue from such promotions.
Daily Mail published an article about the Bermondsey’s new policy, dubbing it as “Hotel Sharia” and alleging that it would be run using Sharia Law hereafter. Many readers were concerned that the upscale hotel, which charges £200 per night, would also reject gay and lesbian couples since Sharia Law forbids homosexual lifestyles.
However, Bespoke, the management company responsible for the hotel’s operations, tweeted the following day to clarify that Daily Mail’s article was misinforming and had attempted to generate a story out of nothing.
@alastairmck @B2Hotel Hi Alastair. The pieces you may have read are misinformed and unfortunately have chosen to make a story from nothing.
— Bespoke Hotels (@bespokehotels) November 15, 2014
According to social commentators, if same-sex couples were refused accommodation at Bermondsey according to conservative Islamic law, the 80-bedroom-hotel would be violating British discrimination laws. Such fears seem to have escalated ever since a bed and breakfast in Cornwall faced a lawsuit earlier this year for refusing accommodation to a gay couple on the basis of its owner’s religious beliefs.
Middle Easterner buys London hotel, bans alcohol, wants to run it in accordance with Sharia law. Will gays be banned? http://t.co/RjG8zeV4DV
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) November 15, 2014
"Strict Islamic policy is imposed at London's Bermondsey Square Hotel" http://t.co/e0ewhXfQ2c Could a same-sex couple please try to book?
— Archbishop Cranmer (@His_Grace) November 15, 2014
Will a #Gay couple try to book a room in this Muslim hotel? so that we can test the robustness of British law http://t.co/EYl2Onr458
— Peter Chalinar (@TaleahPrince) November 15, 2014
However, the spokesperson for Bermondsey Square Hotel spoke to the media to confirm that same-sex couples would still be welcome to stay and the only change that had been incorporated into the hotel’s operations was the elimination of booze and bacon from its kitchen. While she did not comment about the hotel’s other departments operating under Sharia Law, she did say Daily Mail’s article was based on very little fact and more fiction.
Robert Holland, the General Manager, said, “We always have, and continue to, welcome guests of all shapes, sizes and denomination. All guests are welcome.”
According to a local news website, the hotel has already stopped serving alcohol to its guests and it would stop serving variations of pig meat after Christmas.
Photo Credits: Bespoke Hotels
