An Islamic charity is being investigated after posting a video suggesting that members of the government had received donations from the “Israeli lobby” weeks after being cautioned over “inflammatory and divisive” content at its premises.
The video, which seemed to be drawn from a sermon delivered at the Abdullah Quilliam Society’s site on 27 June, also implied that the Charity Commission was being unduly influenced to “silence” trustees.
Now removed, the video was posted two weeks after the commission had warned the charity, set up to restore England’s first mosque, over sermons given at its premises in October 2023.
The regulator opened a statutory inquiry into the charity on 14 July 2025 as it considered that the new video’s contents “may not have furthered the charity’s objects” and might be considered “political, divisive and inflammatory”.
Earlier this week, the commission issued official warnings to two other Muslim charities over the use of “inflammatory and divisive” language.
‘Aggravated concerns’
The commission said its concerns about the Abdullah Quilliam Society had been “aggravated by previous engagement with the charity over the content of sermons and speeches at its premises”.
Its recent official warning regarding sermons given at the charity’s premises on 20 October 2023 said they included “inflammatory and divisive” content without appropriate context on the subject of the Israel/Gaza conflict that was not in the charity’s best interests.
At the time, the commission found that the Abdullah Quilliam Society had failed to have effective management policies, including those related to speakers.
The commission told the trustees to take several steps such as ensuring that all the charity’s activities were in furtherance of its purposes and creating, implementing and adhering to robust policies on the use of speakers and social media.
It said failure to do so “may lead to further regulatory action being taken by the commission”, which it now has following the recent video.
Social media posting restricted
The inquiry will assess the charity’s general administration, management and governance to establish whether there has been mismanagement or misconduct by its trustees.
It will seek to establish the full circumstances around the sermon and determine whether its content was in furtherance of the charity’s objects and in its best interests.
The investigation will also determine whether the charity updated its policies after receiving the official warning.
The commission has issued an order that prohibits the charity from allowing sermons or events to be held at its premises if these include content that does not further its purposes or is not in its best interests.
The charity has also been ordered to stop posting content on its website or social media channels that does not further its purposes or is not in its best interests.
Civil Society has contacted the charity for comment.
Related articles
