Sadiq Khan Forced to Remove Controversial Islamic Preacher Ads from TfL After ASA Crackdown, You Won’t Believe Why
Transport for London (TfL) has removed a series of controversial billboards following 75 complaints and a ruling from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that deemed the ads offensive.
The campaign, by Islamic finance firm Wahed, featured preacher Ismail ibn Musa Menk (“Mufti Menk”) and former UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov surrounded by images of burning money.
The ads first came under fire in October 2024 when GB News exposed them, sparking outrage. Critics questioned why TfL allowed these ads, which included images of burning US dollars and euros, while banning others, like comedian Ed Gamble’s posters featuring a hot dog. TfL initially defended the ads, claiming they met their policy standards, but public backlash grew.
The ASA found that while Wahed intended to highlight how inflation affects money, the use of burning currency symbols could offend people, particularly those from the US and Europe, who might see their national currencies as culturally significant. As a result, the ASA ruled the ads were likely to cause serious offence and banned them.
Wahed responded by explaining their goal was to make people think about financial issues but admitted they didn’t anticipate the strong reactions. They said they appreciated the feedback and would consider it in future campaigns.
TfL, which had paused Wahed’s advertising during the investigation, confirmed there are no plans for new campaigns from the company on its network. They also stated they would apply the ASA’s findings when reviewing future ads.
