UK mosque rebukes comission’s ‘warning’ following Palestine comments

The Lewisham Islamic Centre (LIC) in London has rejected a warning issued by the UK’s independent Charity Commission, which reprimanded the mosque for comments on Palestinian suffering made by an imam during October 2023 sermons.

“The matters raised by the Commission represent a troubling attempt to scrutinise, restrict and penalise legitimate religious worship” and “the expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people,” the mosque said in an official statement issued Wednesday.

The statement comes after the charity watchdog accused the religious centre of including “content that was inflammatory, divisive and not in the charity’s best interests” during two separate sermons, as they issued an official warning urging the centre to “improve its handling of speakers and events hosted at the charity’s premises” on October 20.

The commission warned that if the mosque fails to “remedy the misconduct”, it may be subjected to further action.

The mosque also accused the commission of imposing disproportionate expectations on Muslim charities after the warning, describing them as “unnecessarily burdensome”. The religious centre explained that a sermon, or khutbah, is an integral part of Islamic worship and often speaks to the issues affecting the wellbeing of congregations and their communities. The LIC worried that the warning suggested the commission was “entitled to dictate which subjects Imams may address in their khutbahs”.

LIC added that they are currently seeking legal advice as to the best way to move forward following the warning.

CAGE International, a London-based human rights organisation, supported the mosque, and claimed the Charity Commission showed lenience when it came to pro-Israel charities.

“The Commission’s position treats the word ‘Zionist’ as inflammatory in itself,” CAGE said on Thursday. “This merges opposition to a political ideology with hatred of a people, and places Muslim religious expression under suspicion by default.”

“The Commission has told a mosque that naming who is responsible for Palestinian suffering falls outside acceptable religious practice,” a spokesperson for CAGE said. “This is the same regulator asking for the power to remove trustees for their views,” they added, referring to a recent government consultation to expand the Charity Commission’s powers.