UK Mosque Rejects Charity Commission's 'Warning' Over Imam's Palestine Comments

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

In an official statement released on Wednesday, the mosque declared, “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.”

This statement follows the charity watchdog’s accusation that the religious centre included “content that was inflammatory, divisive and not in the charity’s best interests” during two separate sermons. On October 20, the commission issued a formal warning, urging the centre to “improve its handling of speakers and events hosted at the charity’s premises.” The commission further warned that failure to “remedy the misconduct” could lead to further action against the mosque.

The mosque also criticized the commission’s expectations of Muslim charities following the warning, deeming them “unnecessarily burdensome.” The LIC explained that a sermon, or khutbah, is a fundamental part of Islamic worship and frequently addresses issues pertinent to the well-being of congregations and their communities. The LIC expressed concern that the warning implied the commission believed it was “entitled to dictate which subjects Imams may address in their khutbahs.” The LIC stated it is currently seeking legal advice on how to proceed.

CAGE International, a human rights organisation based in London, has voiced support for the mosque, alleging that the Charity Commission has shown leniency towards pro-Israel charities. CAGE stated on Thursday, “The Commission’s position treats the word ‘Zionist’ as inflammatory in itself,” adding that this “merges opposition to a political ideology with hatred of a people, and places Muslim religious expression under suspicion by default.” A spokesperson for CAGE commented, “The Commission has told a mosque that naming who is responsible for Palestinian suffering falls outside acceptable religious practice,” and noted this is the same regulator seeking expanded powers to remove trustees for their views, referencing a recent government consultation.