A charity that runs a mosque in south London has criticised the Charity Commission’s intervention after receiving an official warning from the regulator.
The commission warned Lewisham Islamic Centre (LIC) over “inflammatory” comments made during sermons delivered at its premises.
It had opened a regulatory compliance case into the charity after complaints were raised about the sermons, which received “adverse media coverage”.
After assessing the evidence as part of the case, the regulator made a finding of misconduct and/or mismanagement, which was connected to two sermons hosted by the charity that “included content that was inflammatory, divisive and not in the charity’s best interests”.
The warning states that LIC must ensure all activity on its premises furthers its objects, benefits the public and is in its best interests, and that it must also ensure that any activity carried out by, or associated with, the charity does not unnecessarily risk damaging its reputation.
LIC must also “review, implement, and adhere to, a robust and suitable events and speakers policy which applies to all of the charity’s speakers” or risk further action, the commission said.
However, the charity has published a response to the warning, accusing the commission of an “unacceptable interference”.
“Lewisham Islamic Centre is deeply concerned by the Charity Commission's attempted regulatory action against the centre and its trustees,” its statement reads.
“The matters raised by the commission represent a troubling attempt to scrutinise, restrict and penalise legitimate religious worship, the expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people, and the activities of a Muslim charitable institution.”
Alleged remarks made by trustees
Two people listed as trustees of the charity made comments in two different sermons, the broadcasts of which are still available on YouTube, that the commission assessed, Civil Society understands.
The first sermon took place on 20 October 2023 and the second on 9 August 2024.
In the latter sermon, Ashraf Dabous, a trustee and the charity’s deputy imam, gave a speech around two weeks after the riots caused by the 2024 Southport stabbings in which he said that the rioters were being manipulated by “Zionists, and they are supporters of the state of Israel”.
Dabous added: “With the ground that has been lost over the last few months, something had to take place that would try to win some ground back on the ground for the Zionist agenda.
“And what a better way than to paint the Muslims as being savages and killers and barbaric and so on and so forth and which in reality is a projection of the Zionist state itself.”
The LIC has been contacted for further comment.
