The Lewisham Islamic Centre accused the charity watchdog of imposing disproportionate expectations on Muslim charities.
Printed On 12 Nov 2026
The Lewisham Islamic Centre (LIC) in London has rejected a warning issued by the UK’s impartial Charity Fee, which reprimanded the mosque for feedback on Palestinian struggling made by an imam throughout October 2023 sermons.
“The issues raised by the Fee characterize a troubling try and scrutinise, prohibit and penalise authentic non secular worship” and “the expression of solidarity with the Palestinian individuals,” the mosque stated in an official assertion issued Wednesday.
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The assertion comes after the charity watchdog accused the non secular centre of together with “content material that was inflammatory, divisive and never within the charity’s greatest pursuits” throughout two separate sermons, as they issued an official warning urging the centre to “enhance its dealing with of audio system and occasions hosted on the charity’s premises” on October 20.
The fee warned that if the mosque fails to “treatment the misconduct”, it could be subjected to additional motion.
‘Unnecessarily burdensome’
The mosque additionally accused the fee of imposing disproportionate expectations on Muslim charities after the warning, describing them as “unnecessarily burdensome”. The non secular centre defined {that a} sermon, or khutbah, is an integral a part of Islamic worship and infrequently speaks to the problems affecting the wellbeing of congregations and their communities. The LIC apprehensive that the warning recommended the fee was “entitled to dictate which topics Imams might deal with of their khutbahs”.
LIC added that they’re at the moment searching for authorized recommendation as to one of the simplest ways to maneuver ahead following the warning.
CAGE Worldwide, a London-based human rights organisation, supported the mosque, and claimed the Charity Fee confirmed lenience when it got here to pro-Israel charities.
“The Fee’s place treats the phrase ‘Zionist’ as inflammatory in itself,” CAGE stated on Thursday. “This merges opposition to a political ideology with hatred of a individuals, and locations Muslim non secular expression underneath suspicion by default.”
“The Fee has advised a mosque that naming who’s chargeable for Palestinian struggling falls exterior acceptable non secular follow,” a spokesperson for CAGE stated. “This is identical regulator asking for the ability to take away trustees for his or her views,” they added, referring to a current authorities session to broaden the Charity Fee’s powers.
