Islamic centre rebuked over Iran-linked ‘pro-terror' video
An Islamic centre branded the 'nerve centre' for Iran in the UK has been reprimanded by the Charity Commission after posting a 'pro-terror video' and clips calling for Israel's destruction.
The Islamic Centre of England (ICE) has been issued with a formal order by the commission compelling its trustees to curb its online activity and future speakers.
The commission launched a statutory investigation into ICE in 2023 after allegations that it was the London office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In 2020, the centre hosted a vigil for Qassim Soleimani, the head of the Guard, who had been killed in a drone strike.
Seyed Hashem Moosavi, ICE's director, issued a statement on its website praising Soleimani as a 'great martyr'.
A commission statement said it had issued the centre with a 'formal order under section 84 of the Charities Act, compelling the trustees to provide rigorous oversight of future speakers and online activity by the charity, among other actions'.
The section 84 direction gives the commission additional powers to intervene during an inquiry where there is suspected misconduct or mismanagement.
The move comes as Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, last week announced plans for new powers to proscribe the IRGC.
Under the proposal, anyone helping or benefiting from a banned state intelligence agency will now face up to 14 years in jail.
On Monday, David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, summoned the Iranian ambassador to be 'held accountable' after three Iranian asylum seekers were charged last Saturday with spying in the UK.
Earlier this month, five Iranian men were arrested in connection with a suspected plot to mount a terror attack on the Israeli embassy in London.
The Charity Commission says its action has been taken because of ICE's 'recent failure' to fully comply with directions set by Emma Moody, the interim manager appointed as part of its investigation.
'The commission considers these, and a range of other past breaches, mismanagement and misconduct in the administration of the charity. The trustees currently dispute some of these legal findings,' the regulator said.
The commission said it would continue to monitor the centre's invited speakers, religious services and public-facing content.
Former speakers have included Syeda Umme Farwa, a charity boss who was described by an Iranian media outlet as a 'jihadi lioness' and was awarded a prize by Ebrahim Raisi, the former Iranian president known as the 'Butcher of Tehran'.
The commission said in a statement that the ICE trustees 'are instructed to ensure that all religious services, speakers and events further the objects of the charity and are in its best interests'.
Despite repeated warnings, the Islamic Centre has continued to platform controversial figures.
Earlier this year, the Jewish Chronicle revealed that the charity's YouTube channel still hosted videos from 2020 in which Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of Iran, advocated 'multiple intifadas' to remove the 'cancerous tumour' of Israel.
Other clips accused the US and its allies of manufacturing Islamic State and enslaving the world. Some of these have since been removed.
David Holdsworth, the chief executive of the Charity Commission, said: 'The law requires, and the public expect, charities to operate exclusively for the public benefit... when a charity fails to operate in line with its legal duties we will step in to take action.
'We now expect the trustees to take the required action directed by the commission and will not hesitate to use further legal powers should that be necessary.
'The commission's statutory inquiry is ongoing. It is the commission's practice to publish a report setting out its findings, regulatory actions and conclusions once an inquiry has concluded.'
'They need to shut it down'
The charity was, however, urged to go further. Col Richard Kemp, a former head of counter-terrorism in Afghanistan, said: 'This is merely a slap on the wrist. The commission needs to take decisive action now and shut it down.
'Iran and its allies pose a direct threat to Britain. The response so far has been to try and sweep it under the carpet.
'The threat we face from Iran is deadly serious. It is of the utmost importance that firm action is taken wherever we can. This is the opposite. It needs closing down now.'
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the charity commission was 'dragging its heels' on holding the ICE to account as its inquiry into the centre still had not concluded after more than two years.
'This isn't the first time the Charity Commission has buried its head in the sand on these issues,' he said.
A spokesman for the ICE previously said the centre was a 'purely religious and cultural organisation, which provides various services to the local communities'.
The spokesman added: 'It is an independent charity regulated by British law, which is totally funded by the local beneficiaries.
'The majority of the trustees, donors, and attendees are British citizens. Indeed, this charity is nothing to do with politics, while we strongly believe that the politically motivated lobbies are trying to drag the charity into their political disputes.'
An Islamic Centre of England spokesman pointed to a statement on the discharge of an interim manager which said this was an 'important milestone' in its 'governance journey'.
The statement said: 'The centre must ensure that it continues to deliver its religious preachings and observes its spiritual doctrines, and meets the requirements of our beneficiaries, while also ensuring legal and regulatory compliance.
'The centre cannot be insulated from world events, however, it is committed to maintaining its independence from political interference, and delivering its religious and educational charitable purposes.
'The centre plays a pivotal role in ensuring we operate in a way which respects all faiths, and where we allow our own faith to continue to be used for good, peacefully and without harm.'
Commission must take meaningful action against those undermining British values
By Chris Philp
Britain faces a growing and dangerous threat from the Iranian regime. It funds terror across the Middle East and beyond – arming Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, enabling Shi'a militias in Iraq and Syria, and is providing deadly drones to Putin's forces in Ukraine.
The tentacles of the Iranian state stretch out to our very own soil here in the United Kingdom.
Earlier this month, three Iranian asylum seekers were charged with spying for Tehran and plotting to inflict 'serious violence' on UK-based journalists working for Iran International, a dissident media outlet.
It came just days after another Iranian asylum seeker was one of five arrested over a plot to attack the Israeli embassy.
This is a stark illustration of how malign foreign actors are exploiting our asylum system to further their own agenda.
But it is only part of a broader pattern of Iranian aggression. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is behind a sustained campaign of cyber attacks, disinformation, and intimidation of Iranian dissidents on our streets.
The Labour Government said they would proscribe this group. Labour have now been in office for nearly a year, so why have they not yet done what they said?
And there is growing evidence of potentially dangerous Iran-linked influence within UK charities and so-called community organisations.
Yet the Charity Commission is dragging its heels on taking meaningful action when it comes to taking on organisations that try to undermine British values and sow division.
Take their investigation into the Islamic Centre for England, which opened after a director claimed that those protesting against the Iranian regime were 'soldiers of Satan' – it still hasn't been concluded after more than two years.
This isn't the first time the Charity Commission has buried its head in the sand on these issues.
The Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust has been under an ongoing investigation for several years, despite being run by self-declared Islamist revolutionaries closely aligned to Iran who say that the West is 'the enemy' and Britain a 'Stasi state'.
And last year, the Dar Alhekma Trust and its sister charity, the Abrar Islamic Foundation, based near Regent's Park, were placed under police investigation after one of their trustees allegedly praised the former IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani as a 'hero'.
The commission has bizarrely paused its review while the charities deny any wrongdoing.
This is not good enough. The commission must be more proactive. The public deserves to know why groups with apparent links to terrorist sympathisers continue to operate freely under the banner of charity.
Its job is not simply to wait for criminal prosecutions – it is to protect the integrity of the charitable sector from exploitation by extremists and foreign regimes. It's time they started acting like it.
And it's time for the Labour Government to get serious too.
The Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, announced by the previous Conservative government, has been implemented which is a welcome first step.
However, we need real enforcement, real transparency, and real consequences for those who break our laws or abuse our hospitality.
Small boat crossings have increased by almost 30 per cent under Labour – 2025 is the worst year ever for such crossings.
Labour voted against our amendment to deport all illegal migrants. It is shameful that the Government is not taking the action needed on this issue.
This is not just about illegal immigration, it is about our national security.
Action against Iran also means shutting down any UK-based charities found to be linked to hostile states or extremist causes.
It means denying visas to Iranian regime officials and suspected collaborators. It means expelling diplomats involved in threats, intimidation or espionage.
And it means providing meaningful protection to journalists and dissidents targeted by Tehran.
We cannot afford to be complacent. Britain must not be a safe haven for the proxies of a state that funds terror, murders dissidentsand seeks to undermine the very freedoms we cherish.
The Conservative Party has always stood for the security of this nation. We will not be silent while this government drags its feet.
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