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Irish Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Inside Dublin Islamic centre: pressure on ‘senior official' to step down amid claims over staff links to banned group
A 'senior official' at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) in Clonskeagh, Dublin, has been asked in internal correspondence 'to step down in favour of the public interest and to prevent further harm' as the crisis deepens at Ireland's largest mosque. In a message, which has been widely circulated among members of the Muslim community, Dr Eid Zaher, who is secretary to the centre's imam, Sheikh Hussein Halawa, says the crisis at the centre is 'due to the intransigence of a senior official in responding to requests of the board of the Al Maktoum Foundation – a foundation that for over 30 years has offered invaluable services to Islam and Muslims in Ireland'. He also appeals to 'wise and thoughtful members of the Muslim community in Ireland to kindly encourage this senior official to step down'. Addressing the 'senior official' directly, he says it is 'vital to place the general interest of Muslims in Ireland above personal, short-term interests'. He continues, 'I find it my duty to issue this heartfelt and brotherly appeal.' READ MORE The letter does not identify the senior official in question. The controversy centres on a dispute between the board of the Al Maktoum Foundation and a group of prominent officials in the centre and their supporters. Concerns have been raised about the management of charitable donations, including funds raised for Gaza and the use of cash payments. The foundation has also raised concerns about alleged links between officials and the Muslim Brotherhood, an international Islamist organisation that the United Arab Emirates and other countries has banned as a terrorist organisation. Dr Zaher expresses his 'deep thanks and heartfelt appreciation to the Al Maktoum Foundation and its dedicated board members for their generous contributions and blessed efforts over the past years,' where the centre is concerned. He adds: 'We remain hopeful that you will continue your support for the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland.' The centre was closed abruptly following an alleged physical altercation at a meeting on April 19th to which the Garda was called. However, its national school , which is attended by more than 400 children, remains open. Dr Ali Selim was the centre's spokesman for more than 20 years until last September, when he stood down. He said this was not related to current events but he was not free to talk about the reasons as 'we have a non-disclosure agreement, so we can't talk about it'. Two weeks ago he was appointed manager for media affairs at the centre by the Al Maktoum Foundation. Regarding the possible relationship between the Muslim Brotherhood – which is banned as a terrorist organisation in countries such the UAE, where the Al Maktoum Foundation is based, as well as in Egypt and Saudi Arabia but not in Ireland – Dr Selim says he has 'never been a member' and has 'never attended any of their meetings'. As to whether other staff at the centre could be members, he responds: 'It is very hard to answer this question. None of them has ever expressed to me that he is a member of the group but, again, they never say.' Ali Selim, manager for media affairs at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland. Photograph: Alan Betson Allegations have previously been made that Sheikh Halawa, who is Egyptian, has links to the Muslim Brotherhood but he has denied any such relationship. Halawa came to Ireland from Egypt in 1995 having studied theology at Al-Azhar University in Cairo and gained his doctorate in Islamic studies at the International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan. His son Ibrahim was released from jail in Egypt in October 2017 after being held there, untried, for more than four years. [ Ibrahim Halawa release: 'Dad, Dad! I left prison! Dad, I'm free' Opens in new window ] Sheikh Halawa is also general secretary of the European Council for Fatwa and Research in which role he provides theological guidance (fatwa) on issues facing Muslims in Europe. Its former president, Egyptian-born but Qatar-based Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who died in 2022 aged 96, was claimed to have been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. He denied this. A controversial theologian and scholar, al-Qaradawi was banned from the US in 1999, the UK and Ireland in 2008, and France in 2012. The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, is a Sunni Muslim organisation set up with the aim of establishing the Koran as sole reference point for ordering life in the family, community and state. It was outlawed in Egypt until the so-called Arab Spring of 2011 and the removal of then prime minister Hosni Mubarak. It was outlawed again by the current Egyptian regime in September 2013. In 2015 the Muslim Brotherhood was designated a terrorist organisation in Bahrain, Egypt, Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia and, significantly where the Clonskeagh centre is concerned, the United Arab Emirates, where the Al Maktoum Foundation is based. Dr Selim explained this week how complaints from Muslims in Ireland had been received by the board of the Al Maktoum Foundation in Dubai about alleged financial irregularities and management concerns at the centre. [ Concerns raised over alleged financial irregularities and links with extremist ideology at Dublin mosque Opens in new window ] Such allegations are not new and were addressed in an Irish Times article of March 2018 , which reported that 'the Islamic Cultural Centre in Dublin has been repeatedly criticised by its auditors for its treatment of charitable cash donations and money received under Islamic rules'. It continued: 'The auditors of the Al Maktoum Foundation, the company that runs the centre, have expressed concern over a period of years that the cash is not being properly recorded and is being held at the centre rather than banked. Deloitte has also raised concerns about payments made using the cash not being adequately recorded, and over the tracking of money loaned to staff and people in receipt of welfare payments.' Following the more recent complaints, chairman of the Al Maktoum Foundation, Muhammad Dahi, and a director of the board of management, Dr Zahid Jamil, visited Ireland 'three times so far. Last October, December [and] again, a couple of weeks ago,' Dr Selim said. 'He appointed an internal auditor – a graduate of the [UCD] Smurfit School – to look into all business and examine every issue. He had a meeting recently ... in the ICCI.' Dr Jamil invited 'parents of children who attended the [Koranic] school to explain to them the situation, what happened'. This school is privately run by the centre and is completely separate from the national school, which is State funded. Founded in 1999 and named the Nur-ul-Huda School, it is a religious school, intended to teach its roughly 2,000 Muslim pupils – at a fee of €250 each – about the tenets of Islam. It has a principal, a deputy principal and about 40 teachers. Imam Hussein Halawa. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw As part of their investigation following complaints, last November the Al Maktoum board also asked the centre's administration to seek data details from the Koranic school. The school said that, because of data protection legislation, they could not supply such details. The centre's administration pointed that this only applied if the data was being supplied to a third party and that as the school was part of the centre, the administration was entitled to it. The school was told that 'basically you are a department in the institution so you do not own the database, the database is owned by the institution,' as Dr Selim recalls it. 'The school refused to give them the data – the request was made last November,' he says. 'They refused three weeks ago – the school principal, deputy principal and a number of teachers submitted an immediate resignation last Friday and they came to work the following day and the ICCI did not allow them to work, which caused a higher level of tension.' Dr Jamil called the meeting of parents of pupils attending the Koranic school for Saturday, April 19th. 'A large number of people turned up,' and Dr Jamil decided on a second meeting to accommodate the numbers. At that first meeting 'he was interrupted, disturbed, he was intimidated and he was subject to harassment. The first meeting went almost to the end – more than two hours – despite this. He invited people to the second meeting; people came in. They verbally attacked him and attempted physically to attack him. We had to protect him. The gardaí were called. They surrounded him and escorted him outside the premises,' says Dr Selim. 'After that he said that he received information that people were planning a demonstration and he expressed his concern about the safety and security of people in the place. So he decided to shut down the place until investigations are over. The entire complex is shut down, only open for the Muslim national school.' As to when the complex might reopen, that is 'up to the internal investigator', says Dr Selim said. The 5,000sq m centre, funded by the al-Maktoums, is one of the largest in Europe. It cost £5 million to build in 1996 and contains a main mosque that holds more than 1,700 people as well as two smaller prayer halls. It also has a Muslim national school, a sports hall, a library, an exhibition hall, an information centre, offices, a women's education and social centre, a shop, a restaurant, eight apartments and a mortuary. It was designed by architects Michael Collins & Associates and won a Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland award in 1997. Set on 3.5 acres, it was Ireland's second purpose-built mosque, after one built in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, in 1987, which was opened in 1996 by the then president of Ireland Mary Robinson. The Clonskeagh centre is the busiest Islamic centre in Ireland, with a staff of about 10 in administration, three in maintenance and four in security, as well as the principal, deputy principal and about 40 teachers at the Koranic school. It receives an annual budget from the Al Maktoum Foundation of €2.5 million. Staff continue to be paid while the internal investigation is under way.
Extra.ie
25-04-2025
- Extra.ie
Gardaí are called in as mosque closes after 'distressing attack' over internal dispute
Gardaí were called to the Islamic Cultural Centre in the heart of south Dublin to keep the peace after rows broke out at the mosque over what has been described as an attempted heave on the imam there. In a statement posted outside the place of worship in Clonskeagh, the management said it had shut its doors due to a 'distressing' and 'unprecedented' event at the mosque on April 19. The centre is headed by Sheikh Hussein Halawa, the father of Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa, who was released in 2017 after spending four years in an Egyptian prison. Gardaí were called to the Islamic Cultural Centre in the heart of south Dublin to keep the peace after rows broke out at the mosque over what has been described as an attempted heave on the imam there. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos It is understood that a group of worshippers had gathered at the centre to demand answers in relation to several governance issues at the centre. They also called for a change in leadership at the mosque last Saturday. However, this resulted in heightened tempers and gardaí were called to the scene. No arrests were made and gardaí on Thursday night said that no criminal investigation has been launched. Sheikh Hussein Halawa, who heads the Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh. Pic: Fran Veale The statement from the centre reads: 'We regret to inform you that, following the deeply troubling incident that took place on April 19, 2025 – an unprecedented and distressing attack on our Mosque, Centre, and members of the Board – we have no choice but to temporarily close the Mosque and Centre to the public. 'This decision has been made with the utmost concern for the safety and wellbeing of our community, especially the children of the Muslim National School. 'The closure will remain in effect until we are able to: Complete a full investigation into the events of April 19 and review and implement robust safety and security protocols. In a statement posted outside the place of worship in Clonskeagh, the management said it had shut its doors due to a 'distressing' and 'unprecedented' event at the mosque on April 19. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos 'This is a deeply sorrowful moment in the history of our Mosque and Centre. We ask for your continued support and prayers as we work toward recovery and renewal during this difficult time.' The Islamic Cultural Centre has been operating in Clonskeagh since 1996 and is one of the biggest for Ireland's Muslim population. spoke with several worshippers outside the mosque on Thursday who explained that the congregation had 'had enough' of the current leadership and that they wanted someone new to lead them. The Islamic Cultural Centre has been operating in Clonskeagh since 1996 and is one of the biggest for Ireland's Muslim population. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos One man, who didn't want to be named, described how he and his friend were at the meeting last Saturday and that there were calls for the current management team to be replaced. 'It has been the same people for years and years and we want someone new to come in. This is not about the education of people or the teachings at the mosque, it is about the people running it. We think there are better people there to run it. 'It is all very messy. It's a big mess. We were there on Saturday, me and [friend] and we said: 'Show us everything, show us the accounts, show us where everything is going' because we don't know. But they did not show us. They closed the gates and now we can't get back in.' Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri of the Al-Mustafa Islamic Cultural Centre Ireland in west Dublin described the closure of the mosque and Saturday's ugly scenes as 'a moment of deep reflection' for Ireland's 80,000- plus Muslims. Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri of the Al-Mustafa Islamic Cultural Centre Ireland in west Dublin described the closure of the mosque and Saturday's ugly scenes as 'a moment of deep reflection' for Ireland's 80,000- plus Muslims. Pic: In a statement, he said: 'I pray that this becomes an opportunity for renewal, a chance to restore this sacred house of Allah to its rightful purpose: a beacon of unity, knowledge, and mercy for all in Ireland.' On November 16 1996, the centre was officially opened by President Mary Robinson and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. A statement from Imam Hussein Halawa, seen by urged his congregation not to be swept up in rumours. He said:'For over 30 years I have served this blessed centre and the Muslims of Ireland tirelessly and without weariness. The Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh in Dublin. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos 'I have always longed for its pulpit, and for my sons and daughters, students of knowledge and memorisers of the Qur'an – whom we all take pride in as graduates of this mosque's school, and who have gone on to lead congregations in Dublin's mosques and beyond. 'I urge you all to verify the accuracy of any news you hear and not to be swept away by rumours.' The Islamic Centre was contacted for comment.
RTÉ News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Islamic centre will not reopen for Friday prayers
Ireland's largest mosque will not reopen for Friday prayers today. The Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh in Dublin has been closed to the public after an incident at the weekend. In a message yesterday to the Muslim community in Ireland, Imam of the mosque, Sheikh Hussein Halawa, described news of the closure of the centre as "distressing". He described the centre as "a symbol of unity" and urged people to "verify the accuracy of any news you hear and not to be swept away by rumours." In a statement this morning, the centre said the mosque had been temporarily closed by decision of the newly appointed Board of Directors. It said this was "a preventive measure to ensure the safety and security of the property, staff, children and members of the public." The statement said that on Saturday, 19 April, the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) board had scheduled a closed-door meeting "specifically for the parents of children enrolled at the Quranic School to discuss school-related matters" but it said "attempts were made to disrupt the meeting and transform it into an open community gathering at an incorrect venue." It said that following an incident "and in light of credible information received by the board regarding planned protests, including potential attempts to breach the centre's gates and forcibly take control of the premises - the board determined that maintaining security would be impossible if the centre remained open." The statement continues: "The Centre remains concerned about ongoing safety risks, particularly given reports that further protests may be organised with the intent to incite individuals to breach the gates and forcibly occupy ICCI premises. We trust the gardaí will continue to ensure the protection of the centre during this time." The statement added: "The Centre reiterates that rumours of pressure from abroad or any external actors/parties are false and without foundation." It said the ICCI will remain closed "as it undertakes a full review of its security posture. In the meantime, the board is also conducting a comprehensive audit to address and remedy the legal, financial, and governance issues it has inherited." The Nurul Huda Quranic School, which operated in the centre, has been closed since mid-April, following a dispute between the board and staff at the school. Staff, including the school's principal and deputy principal, resigned on 9 April. The school, which was established in 2000 and has over 1,000 students, teaches Quranic studies and Arabic and operates on Saturdays and Sundays and on some weekday evenings. It is understood that the school has been re-registered and operates independently of the ICCI, offering classes to students via Zoom.
RTÉ News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Unclear if Islamic centre will re-open for Friday prayers
It remains unclear whether the largest mosque in the country will re-open for Friday prayers tomorrow. The Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh in Dublin has been closed to the public after an incident at the weekend. In a message to the Muslim community in Ireland the Imam of the mosque in Dublin 14, Sheikh Hussein Halawa, described news of the closure of the centre as "distressing." He described the centre as "a symbol of unity" and urged people to "verify the accuracy of any news you hear and not to be swept away by rumours." The centre and its mosque was closed to the public following an incident at the weekend. RTÉ News understands that a member of the ICCI board hosted an in-person meeting at the centre on Saturday. Many more members of the community attended than could fit in the room, and a significant number remained outside. There were some tense scenes outside and inside the meeting. Gardaí confirmed that they attended the scene, but that it was not a criminal matter and An Garda Síochána has not initiated any investigation into what happened. RTÉ News has also learned that the Nurul Huda Quranic School, which operated in the centre, has been closed since mid-April, following a dispute between the board and staff at the school. Staff, including the school's principal and deputy principal, resigned on 9 April. The school, which was established in 2000 and has over 1,000 students, teaches Quranic studies and Arabic and operates on Saturdays and Sundays and on some weekday evenings. RTÉ understands that the school has been re-registered and now operates independently of the ICCI, offering classes to students via Zoom. A notice on the locked gate of the ICCI, attributed to centre management described the incident at the weekend as "unprecedented and distressing". "The decision [to close the centre] has been made with the utmost concern for the safety and well-being of our community, especially the children of the Muslim National School," the notice read. That school is due to re-open on Monday after the holidays. RTÉ is awaiting a statement from the Department of Education as to whether it known if the school will in fact re-open. The Islamic Cultural Centre has been operating in Clonskeagh since 1996 and it is the biggest mosque in the country. The 2022 census showed the Muslim population of Ireland is 81,000, the majority of whom live in Dublin.
