Orlando Fraser

Head of Charity Commission

Charity Commission

102 Petty France

London

SW1H 9AJ

 

CVI@charitycommission.gov.uk

 

31 May 2023

 

 

Dear Sir,

 

Re: Interim Manager at Islamic Centre of England

 

We, the undersigned, are writing to protest your recent decision to impose an interim manager to run the Islamic Centre of England.

We believe that this decision is politically motivated and serves the interests of Islamophobes who have been targeting this diverse community centre and place of worship.

Rather than remaining a neutral arbitrator and serving to address any genuine shortcomings that may exist, you have shown a biased approach and used punitive measures that unfairly penalize Muslim charities.

It is concerning that the Charity Commission continues to tell religious communities what they can say and who they can invite to their centres. The Commission is not qualified to determine what religious communities should be discussing, it is not the business of any state body to tell its citizenry what they can say or believe in their places of worship.

The appointment shows a clear lack of understanding of the needs of the Islamic centre and its congregation. To appoint an interim manager who is not from that faith community, not aware of its spiritual and religious needs, nor aware of the specific needs of that particular congregation, shows us that the Charity Commission has yet again failed to protect the best interests of a Muslim religious centre and its congregation.

It is wholly unfair that a Muslim charity is treated in this way due to the perception of it not conforming to Western foreign policy interests. Naturally, this behaviour will add to the chorus of voices accusing the Charity Commission of deliberately harassing and hindering the work of Muslim-run charities and adds to the litany of oppressive measures carried out in aid of furthering Islamophobic British state policies and the agendas of politically motivated and divisive pressure groups.

The outcomes of such actions by the Charity Commission will result in the alienation of Muslims from their own places of worship.

In the interests of fairness and justice, we call upon you to urgently reconsider this decision.

Yours sincerely,

 

Massoud Shadjareh, Islamic Human Rights Commission

Sayyid Samir Al-Haidari, Ahlulbayt Islamic Mission

Mohammad Reza, Idara e Jaaferiya

Shia Welfare Association, Manchester

Shaykh Ghulam Hurr Shabbiri, Al Zahra Foundation Nottingham

Roshan M Salih, 5 Pillars News

Hossein Ataei, Union of Islamic Students Associations in Europe

Ahammed Hussain, Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK

Sayyid Wajahat Ali, Imamians UK

Muhammad Rabbani, Cage

Ahmed Faqih, Qaem Foundation

Abbas Ali, Inminds Human Rights Group

Syed Hashmi, Al Mahdi Foundation, Glasgow

Sayyid Mohammad Sibtain Razavi, S.I. Education Society

David Cannon, Jewish Network for Palestine

Reverend Stephen Sizer, Convivencia Alliance

Mick Napier, Scottish Palestinian Society

Scottish Lebanese Society

Scottish Friends of Palestine

Ali Rabetnejad, Tawheed Islamic Centre, Newcastle

Sajjad H Shah, Anjum-e-Hussainiya

 

Daud Abdulla, Founder of British Muslim Initiative, Director of Middle East Monitor, Chairman of Masjid Annoor

Glenn Bowman, Emeritus Professor of Socio-Historical Anthropology, University of Kent

Prof. Haim Bresheeth, Lecturer at SOAS University

Inayat Bunglawala, Activist and TV Broadcaster

Avi Shlaim, Emeritus Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford

Shaykh Suliman Gani, Imam of Purley Masjid

Reverend Frank Gelli, Anglican Priest

Shaykh Meisam Ghasemi, Islamic cleric

Ibrahim Hewitt, Chairman, Interpal

Prof. Nur Masalha, Lecturer at SOAS University

David Miller, Professor of Sociology, Co-Founder of Public Interest Investigations

Diana Neslen, Member of JfJfP and JVL

Syed Taqi Jaffer Razvi, Islamic cleric

Duncan Taylor, Member of Lewes Amnesty International

Chris Williamson, Former MP and broadcaster