Latest news with #IslamicCulturalCentreofIreland
RTÉ News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Meeting told of eagerness for Dublin mosque to reopen
Children are eager to return to study the Quran at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland's (ICCI) mosque, an online public meeting to discuss its closure has heard. The facility in Clonskeagh in Dublin remains closed following fractious scenes at and outside a meeting at the centre on 19 April. In a statement, the ICCI said the facility was closed "as a preventive measure to ensure the safety and security of the property, staff, children and members of the public". Some 171 people have attended an online meeting to discuss the matter, which was hosted Abdul Hasseb. The discussion was also attended by Joe Coleman, who was described by the host as an expert mediator. Mr Hasseb, the spokesperson for the 'Muslim Community Ireland' group, said the meeting was held after a petition was organised by its members. The members, he said, are unhappy about the closure of the mosque and it was established with the purpose of campaigning for the reopening of the centre. Mr Hasseb said the committee has already held a press conference in relation to the closure, and contacted local TDs, saying they will meet Shay Brennan. Mr Hasseb said tomorrow will be the fourth Friday that the mosque is closed, adding it is sad that people have become used to the facility being closed. During the meeting, the committee presented the results of a survey of 247 members of the Muslim community. The respondents, of which 46% were woman and 54% were men, mostly said the impact on the religious education of children in the community has been severe. The report, with representation across the age groups, also found the majority of those surveyed said the Islamic Cultural Centre was extremely important to their family's sense of belonging. It showed that many reported feeling emotionally distressed and isolated because of the closure, while a little under half of the respondents said they have difficulty accessing religious services elsewhere. The committee said people reported the mosque had been part of their daily routine and their children keep asking when they can go back to their Quran classes. The group shared a statement from Imam of the mosque Sheikh Hussein Halawa, in which he apologised for not being able to attend. He said it breaks his heart the mosque is closed and he has sought legal avenues, but cannot comment further. He said: "My silence is not indifference, it out of necessity." But Mr Hasseb said the committee will continue to push for further information. He also shared a statement from the Ahmed Hasain, CEO of the ICCI, in which he said he had to comply with the board of directors directive to refrain from public comment. Mr Hasain said it is his view that he has always been clear that the reopening of the mosque should not be linked to employment issues. Mr Coleman, described as a mediator, addressed the meeting, saying he had reached out after seeing media reports on RTÉ and the Irish Times. He said that he understands the motivation of the community who want the mosque reopened. However, Mr Coleman added that he does not understand the coupling of the closure of the mosque with an employment dispute. He said if the dispute is litigated it will take years to be resolved, adding that he does not know what the employment dispute is about and he does not want to go down that avenue. He suggested the community agree on a representative to meet with the Islamic Cultural Centre board at a mediated meeting. Mr Coleman said while mediation can be much quicker than litigation, it should not be rushed.
BreakingNews.ie
03-05-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Dublin Islamic Centre accuses 'radicalised' wing of Muslim community of intimidation
The Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) at Clonskeagh in Dublin has accused a 'radicalised' wing of the Muslim community of intimidating and trying to 'silence' one of its leading members, according to The Irish Times. A dispute over control of the centre deepened on Friday when the ICCI criticised attacks on social media against Dr Eid Zaher, who had pleaded during the week for a resolution. Advertisement In a letter circulated on Muslim-community WhatsApp groups last Wednesday, Dr Zaher, secretary to ICCI imam Sheikh Hussein Halawa, called on an unnamed 'senior official' at the ICCI 'to step down in favour of the public interest and to prevent further harm', The Irish Times reported. He also appealed to 'wise and thoughtful members of the Muslim community in Ireland to kindly encourage this senior official to step down'. The ICCI has been closed since an alleged physical altercation at a meeting on April 19th, to which gardaí were called. An auditor has been appointed by the Al Maktoum Foundation, which built and funds the ICCI, to investigate alleged financial irregularities there. Advertisement In a statement following social media posts about Dr Zaher's intervention this week, the ICCI said it was 'deeply saddened by the radicalised behaviour of certain individuals within our community who have attacked, intimidated, harassed, insulted and defamed Dr Sheikh Eid [Dr Zaher]'. He 'is a member of the religious Dawah department of our mosque (which gives religious guidance),' it said. 'Such actions to silence dissenting voices are unacceptable' and were 'a cowardly attack and yet another example of the extremist tendencies of certain elements within the community', it said. 'Freedom of expression is a deeply valued principle and an integral part of the shared norms ... in Irish society,' the ICCI statement said. 'We pray for the enlightenment and reform of these radical elements so that the mosque and centre can reopen in an atmosphere of peace and security for our employees, the children and the community,' it said.
Irish Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Dublin Islamic centre criticises ‘radicalised' members as internal row deepens
The Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) at Clonskeagh in Dublin has accused a 'radicalised' wing of the Muslim community of intimidating and trying to 'silence' one of its leading members. A bitter dispute over control of the centre deepened on Friday when the ICCI criticised attacks on social media against Dr Eid Zaher, who had pleaded during the week for a resolution. In a letter circulated on Muslim-community WhatsApp groups last Wednesday, Dr Zaher, who is secretary to ICCI imam Sheikh Hussein Halawa, called on an unnamed 'senior official' at the ICCI 'to step down in favour of the public interest and to prevent further harm'. He also appealed to 'wise and thoughtful members of the Muslim community in Ireland to kindly encourage this senior official to step down'. READ MORE The ICCI has been closed since an alleged physical altercation took place there at a meeting on April 19th, to which gardaí were called . An auditor has been appointed by the Al Maktoum Foundation, which built and funds the ICCI, to investigate alleged financial irregularities there . In a statement following social media posts about Dr Zaher's intervention this week, the ICCI said it was 'deeply saddened by the radicalised behaviour of certain individuals within our community who have attacked, intimidated, harassed, insulted and defamed Dr Sheikh Eid [Dr Zaher]'. He 'is a member of the religious Dawah department of our mosque (which gives religious guidance),' it said. 'Such actions to silence dissenting voices are unacceptable' and were 'a cowardly attack and yet another example of the extremist tendencies of certain elements within the community', it said. 'Freedom of expression is a deeply valued principle and an integral part of the shared norms that are firmly established in Irish society,' the ICCI statement said. 'We pray for the enlightenment and reform of these radical elements so that the mosque and centre can reopen in an atmosphere of peace and security for our employees, the children and the community,' it said. However, as it 'takes seriously the safety and security of our staff, employees and the public', and 'in an effort to maintain the sanctity and security of our beloved mosque, we had to take the difficult decision to close the mosque and centre until further notice', it added. Meanwhile, a group of Muslims pleaded at a press conference in Dublin on Friday for the reopening of the mosque at the ICCI , describing it as 'the heartbeat of our community'. The Muslim Community Ireland group described itself as 'a grassroots, community-led initiative formed to peacefully advocate for the reopening of the Masjid [mosque] at the ICCI'. Its chair, Abdul Haseeb, insisted they had gathered 'not in protest, but in pain, and in hope'.
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.
RTÉ News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Community group says mosque should not be 'price' in ICCI row
A new Muslim community group has called for dialogue between parties involved in a dispute that has seen the closure of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland and its mosque in Clonskeagh. "We are not officials, we are simply fathers, mothers, students, teachers, ordinary citizens, people carrying an extraordinary concern," spokesperson for the new 'Muslim Community Ireland' group Abdul Hasseb said at the group's first press conference. The group describes itself as a grassroots group which came into being in response to the recent closure of the Islamic Cultural Centre and its mosque. The mosque remained closed for Friday prayer, for a second week in a row, with no prospect of it re-opening in sight. The mosque and the wider centre's closure followed fractious scenes at and outside a meeting at the ICCI on 19 April. In a statement the ICCI said that it was closed "as a preventive measure to ensure the safety and security of the property, staff, children and members of the public". The Muslim National School and creche were able to re-open on Monday under tight security and with curtailed access for parents to the site. However the mosque and other parts of the centre, including two independent businesses, a restaurant and a grocery shop, remain closed. "We understand that institutions face challenges, but we ask humbly and urgently that the mosque itself not be the price," Mr Hasseb told the media outside the locked gates of the ICCI. "We respectfully call on all stakeholders, including the respected leadership of Al Maktoum Foundation (the centre's funders) and the ICCI management to engage in open, transparent dialogue," Mr Hasseb said. "As members of the community we are ready to engage and work to alleviate any concerns about security and safety," he added. "Our plea is simple: open the mosque for the five daily prayers, for Friday prayers, and for Eid. Allow the House of Allah to serve His worshippers, while other matters are dealt with separately with due care and process." Dr Zahid Jamil, a member of the ICCI Board of Directors, who also attended the meeting on 19 April, welcomed the community group's initiative saying that he was "very grateful to people who were concerned about this". Dr Jamil said that the board had a "multitude of concerns" but "the most serious are the security concerns". He said that "nothing had changed" in relation to the security concerns which had led to the ongoing closure of the mosque. He added that those who wanted to help "need to have a plan on how they wish to solve those problems." The Muslim Community Ireland press conference heard from a number of speakers about the impact the closure had on their lives. Father of three, Saif Uz Zaman, gave an emotional account of how his wife had died just two months ago. He told the press conference that he and his wife had moved their home close to the ICCI eight years ago and his wife took their children there "several times a day". Since she died, he said he continued to go there every day with his children, until it closed. "Even my four-year-old, she choose a place where my wife used to pray, now she is asking to me, 'Baba I want to go to that place, I want to pray in that place, so I have no answer for her,'" Mr Uz Zaman said. Speakers also raised concern about the impact the closure is having on the livelihoods of those running businesses on the site. The Olive Tree Restaurant and a grocery store both have a number of employees and have been shuttered since the centre closed. Lorraine O'Connor, the founder of Muslim Sisters of Éire, and who is also married to group spokesperson Adbul Hasseb, told the press conference that the restaurant's closure is also impacting the charity's weekly soup kitchen, which provides food to around 400 people. Ms O'Connor said the restaurant owner had consistently supplied the charity with up to 80 meals a week, but that last week, the centre's closure meant that this could not happen. Ms O'Connor said that this was "not a small set-back". "It's the first time ever we had to turn so many people away, normally we can manage a shortfall of five to ten meals but this was simply overwhelming" Ms O'Connor said, later confirming that 47 people had gone without food that night. "That was the detrimental effect of what happened here, now this week we are a bit more prepared but we are still down 80 meals," Ms O'Connor said. Due to an ongoing dispute with the board of directors of the ICCI, the Quranic School no longer operates at the site on evenings and weekends. The press conference heard that other services provided in the centre have separately been effected by the centre's closure. "Every Wednesday we have learning circles called a Halaqah, a couple of us gather together and we remind ourselves about the goodness that we need to do to prevent evil in the world and stuff like that," Sabina Syed told RTÉ News. "Its a space for us to get together and just to talk and just to get that stress out of our heads so that we can go back and give better to our families," she said, "that's been taken away". Even though the national school has re-opened, she said that the centre's closure and ongoing restrictions are still proving challenging for parents and children. "I think I'm the only parent who has an exemption of going into the school (rather than dropping the child at the gate) because I have a child with special needs," Mrs Syed said. "The school and the staff are doing an amazing job in keeping the school open and maintaining a regular routine for the kids... but obviously the kids are confused, especially the older ones because they used to go to the mosque to pray and now they have to pray in the school hall so it is just having an effect on everybody's mental health," Mr Syed said. Her daughter and third year student at the Royal College of Surgeons, Hafsah Syed, is a youth leader at the Islamic Cultural Centre. She told the press conference that "the recent temporary closure of our centre has left a painful gap in our lives, not just as Muslims, but as young people searching for belonging, guidance and community". She told RTÉ News that she used to work with two youth groups of girls, the seniors who are 12 and over and the juniors who are aged seven and up. "We have a youth club every Saturday which is really nice, we play games, we talk about Islam, we talk about school, just a safe space for the youth that come to ICCI," Ms Syed said, but that this had now stopped. "I meet some of the girls out shopping or whatever and they really express how upset they are that it is closed, and you know it wasn't just a place to learn, it was a place to connect with their peers ... they've lost that place."
