UK charity commission warns mosque over sermon against Israel
A London Islamic centre is taking legal advice after the Charity Commission, the UK’s charity regulator, gave it a formal warning. The commission says the centre aired “inflammatory and divisive” sermons. It told Lewisham Islamic Centre in southeast London to be more careful when it picks speakers and runs events on its premises.
After Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, Imam Mr. Shakil Beg gave a sermon at the mosque. He spoke about the suffering of ordinary people under “oppressors and Zionists.” In the same speech, he called pop star Mr. Justin Bieber and model Ms. Kylie Jenner “sick” for supporting Israel.
In August 2024, riots broke out in Southport in the UK. Referring to them, another imam of the mosque, Mr. Ashraf Dabus, said in his sermon that “Zionists and supporters of Israel” were behind the rioters. He also spoke of a “Zionist agenda.”
Complaints about the mosque’s sermons came in recent years, and the Charity Commission began an inquiry. After it ended, the commission said it found evidence of “misconduct and mismanagement” at the centre. It said the centre “breached trust” by hosting two sermons that went against the interest of a charity and were inflammatory and divisive.
The commission did not say exactly which remarks led to the warning. It also warned that it will take strict regulatory action if the centre does not follow its recommendations.
In reply, Lewisham Islamic Centre said in a statement that it is taking legal advice to decide its next steps. The statement said: “The matter is not limited to one mosque or one charity. It is a question of religious freedom. The big question now is whether Muslim institutions will face punishment if they speak about solidarity with Palestine, practise established Islamic worship, or condemn the war crimes and genocide of the Israeli state. Showing solidarity with the oppressed can never be a reason for punishing a charity.”
The statement added: “If we decide to take legal action, we will call on others to come forward and jointly challenge an authoritarian commission to protect religious freedom.”
On its website, Lewisham Islamic Centre describes itself as an institution that works to keep communal harmony in society and to shape the future of the wider Muslim community.
Source: Sky News
