Fears of racism have prevented around 30 charities and community centres from being investigated amid alleged links to the Iranian regime, a new report has detailed.
Lord Walney alleges Iran uses the network of organisations to maintain its “influence and interests” in the UK while separately plotting attacks against critical Iranian media and the Jewish community.
Former government extremism advisor and Labour MP Lord Walney noted a network of over 30 religious institutions, including 10 charities – eight of which are currently being investigated by the Charity Commission, although this has been plagued by “systemic delays”, he says.
The Islamic Centre of England (ICE) is described as a “central node” in the network. Its recent director and secretary was appointed by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei himself and killed in an Israeli airstrike, it is claimed.
Iran’s Deputy Minister of Culture between 2000 and 2003, Aliasghar Ramezanpour, was interviewed by Lord Walney in the report and described ICE as a “kind of a headquarters that supervises all the network ([of charities in the UK)”.
Kast year, the Intelligence and Security Committee said ICE could provide Iranian intelligence agents “with a useful base from which to act”.
ICE also received a warning from the Charity Commission in 2020 after hosting a vigil for Qasem Soleimani, the IRGC commander who was killed by the US in 2020. They have been subject to a statutory inquiry since November 2022.
Sir William Shawcross, who chaired the Charity Commission between 2012 and 2018, said he encountered a “real nervousness about talking about suspicions of Muslim organisations,” adding: “There’s a widespread fear amongst police, amongst schools, the headmasters and others of being accused of being racist”.
Fears of racism have prevented around 30 charities and community centres from being investigated
| PA
The commission has “never had the resources it needs for any investigations, and certainly not for counter-terrorism or counter-extremism investigations”, the peer stated.
“(In 2018, upon leaving the commission) it was already clear that the Iranians were very, very active in Britain, both in charitable and non-charitable organisations,” Sir William noted.
Kasra Aarabi, Director of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Research at United Against Nuclear Iran, mirrored this view, saying: “I think this goes back to political will, and also unfortunately the fear of being labelled Islamophobic. The first thing that these people (Iranian charities) will allege is Islamophobia.”
ICE denied suggestions it acted as a headquarters for a supposed network and claimed the publication of what it described as inaccurate and inflammatory claims risks promoting religious hatred and causing harm.
