A political pun and image macro format based on the phonetic similarity between 'Sharia law' and the name of Colombian pop singer Shakira, used to mock anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Where did Shakira Law come from?

The earliest documented online use is a March 25, 2013 Markokloos.com blog post, and the joke went mainstream after a December 9, 2017 @BarryStanton64 tweet covered by Daily Mail.

What does Shakira Law mean?

It mocks fears about Muslim immigration and Sharia law by imagining a legal code built around Shakira's songs, like a rule that hips don't lie.

How do you use Shakira Law?

Pair Shakira imagery or 'Hips Don't Lie' with mock anti-immigrant protest language, as @duribistan did in a viral November 2025 TikTok celebrating Zohran Mamdani's win.

Is Shakira Law still popular?

Yes, it saw a prominent revival during the 2026 U.S. midterms, with Laura Loomer's anti-Muslim rhetoric drawing thousands of Shakira Law memes in reply.

Shakira Law

2013catchphrase / image macroresurgent

Published November 11, 2026

Shakira Law is a political pun that swaps 'Sharia' with the name of Colombian singer Shakira, mocking anti-Muslim rhetoric by imagining a legal code around her lyrics and hip-shaking. The joke appeared online by 2013 and hit mainstream attention in December 2017 when a trolling @BarryStanton64 tweet sparked a Twitter trend. By November 2025, TikTok users danced to 'Hips Don't Lie' celebrating Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral win under the caption 'Shakira Law starts now.'

pun memes political satire memes misspelling memes religious parody memes celebrity nickname memes

Overview

Posts typically feature Shakira's face with a red X across it in mock protest, often paired with alarmed captions like 'Keep your Shakira law away from us'2. The joke works by taking an anti-Muslim talking point and collapsing it into a Shakira-themed legal code, with Twitter users riffing on fake rules such as mandatory dancing to her songs 'whenever, wherever' and a 'Five Pillars of Shakira Law'1. Readings range from mocking critics of Muslim immigration to earnest pro-Shakira Law posts celebrating the fictional regime4.

TikTok

Jokes usually draw on her best-known songs. 'Hips Don't Lie' appears in most variations, used both as a punchline for the law's single 'commandment' and as a soundtrack for TikTok celebration edits7. Variations also pull in her music videos and belly-dancing choreography as fake religious rituals.

Gallery

Origin & Background

Platform

Blog (early use) / Twitter (viral spread)

Date

2013

Early use of the phrase appears in a March 25, 2013 post on the Markokloos.com blog titled 'the muslins and their shakira law again'3. On May 22, 2014, parody X account @BritainFurst tweeted an image macro showing Shakira with a red X across her face, captioned 'We will NOT stand for it. This is BRITAIN. Keep your Shakira law away from us'2.

The joke hit mainstream attention on December 9, 2017, when parody account @BarryStanton64 wrote, 'If all these muslims want there shakira law in this country why dont they fuck off back to india,' substituting 'Sharia' for 'Shakira'1. Daily Mail covered the resulting Twitter trend, with users taking the misspelling and proposing rules for a Shakira-themed legal system1.

How It Spread

Days after the Stanton tweet, Twitter filled with fake rules for the religion, including bans on lying hips and a required 'Five Pillars of Shakira Law'1. On December 21, 2018, U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) responded to an Instagram comment accusing her of wanting to enforce Shakira Law with a video saying, 'And you know, hips don't lie!' which picked up roughly 58,586 likes5.

A major resurgence came on November 5, 2025, when TikToker @duribistan shared a video of people dancing to 'Hips Don't Lie' to celebrate Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral win, captioned 'Shakira Law starts now,' with over 502,000 likes6. The joke returned in late 2026 around the U.S. midterms, with Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed telling supporters on October 14, 2026, that 'Sharia law has one commandment that the hips don't lie' in a TikTok that hit roughly 2.4 million views7.

On November 3, 2026, far-right activist Laura Loomer tweeted 'I hope everyone is learning Arabic' about Muslim candidates during the midterms; her post hit 24 million views in under a day with Shakira Law replies flooding the thread8. The following day, X user @habibislop posted 'SHAKIRA LAW IS HERE' alongside a video quoting @hasanthehun, picking up over 47,570 likes in under 24 hours9.

Timeline

2013-03-25

Earliest known online use of 'Shakira Law' in a Markokloos.com blog post titled 'the muslins and their shakira law again.'

2014-05-22

Parody X account @BritainFurst tweets an image macro of Shakira with a red X and the caption 'Keep your Shakira law away from us.'

2016-07-19

A since-deleted Redditor posts 'What is Shakira Law and why do so many Muslim countries follow it?' to /r/shittyaskhistory.

2017-12-09

Parody account @BarryStanton64 tweets the viral 'shakira law' typo, sparking a mainstream Twitter trend covered by Daily Mail.

2018-12-21

Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) replies to a critic with 'hips don't lie,' turning the joke into a congressional clapback.

2025-11-05

TikToker @duribistan posts 'Shakira Law starts now' celebrating Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral win with a 'Hips Don't Lie' dance edit.

How to Use This Meme

Posts typically pair Shakira imagery with mock anti-immigrant rhetoric, often with her face marked by a red X to parody protest signs2. Variations invent fake rules drawn from her lyrics, like forced dancing to 'Hips Don't Lie' or a requirement that hips not lie1.