The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into an Islamic faith charity following serious concerns that were raised regarding a third-party event held at its premises.
The regulator launched a compliance case into the Al-Tawheed Charitable Trust in August last year, after it was reported that anti-semitic chants were made during a third-party event hosted on its property in 2020.
The commission today confirmed that, after reviewing video footage of the event, it had escalated the case into a statutory enquiry that would examine the controls the charity had in place for events and external speakers.
The Al-Tawheed Charitable Trust was established in 1994 to “promote the Islamic faith” and “relieve poverty and sickness of persons who profess the Islamic religion in the UK”.
It owns and operates the Kanoon Towhid, also known as the Centre for Monotheism, a repurposed Methodist church in Hammersmith, London.
In January 2020 the centre hosted an event that celebrated a high-ranking Iranian military officer, Major General Qasem Soleimani, after his death in a US drone strike.
The charity’s trustees, who were not in post at the time of the incident, told the regulator the event was a “religious remembrance programme” for Soleimani and was organised by a third party.
At the time of his death, Soleimani held a senior position in Iran’s military, serving as commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Qods Force.
He had been subject to terrorism sanctions by the UK government at the time of his death.
“Through reviewing video footage provided to the regulator, the Charity Commission is aware that speakers praised Soleimani and could hear anti-semitic chants being made during the event,” the commission said in a statement today.
“The Commission has significant concerns about these matters and will be examining what controls the charity has in place for events and external speakers.”
It added that it has exercised its protective powers to prevent the charity’s trustees from allowing the premises to be used again by the third party that organised the event, and would use its information-gathering powers to compel the trustees to answer questions and provide documents.
The inquiry will investigate the management and administration of the charity by its trustees, the oversight and control by its trustees of the use of the charity’s properties by third parties and the charity’s relationships with partners.
The regulator said it may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge.