The Charity Commission is assessing whether to intervene in a dispute between two charities over the control of a new mosque site, which recently went to court.
Greengate Jamia Mosque was unsuccessfully challenged by another charity over its ownership and control of the Greengate Street mosque building in Oldham.
Bradford-based Jamiyat Tabliqh Ul-Islam (JTI) argued that the Oldham mosque had always been a branch of the Bradford organisation and that all mosque properties were therefore held on trust for the Bradford JTI.
In response, Greengate Jamia Mosque argued that the mosque had always been an independent local institution, governed by and held for the benefit of the Muslim worshippers of Oldham, despite sharing the name “JTI” and following the same religious tradition as the Bradford JTI.
The Business and Property Courts in Manchester ruled in favour of Greengate Jamia Mosque, with the judge saying that the site in Oldham is an independent local mosque, rather a branch of the Bradford JTI organisation and that its properties are held on trust for the local Oldham mosque charity rather than for the Bradford-based claimants.
Following the ruling, a Charity Commission spokesperson confirmed: “We are assessing a recent judgment involving Jamiyat Tabligh-Ul-Islam and Greengate Jamia Mosque, two registered charities, to determine if there is a regulatory role for the commission.”
Both charities have been approached for comment.
