Think-tank chief is accused of ‘despicable’ comments

Charity Commission to assess remarks after complaints are made by leading Jewish groups

THE head of a “liberal” Islamic think-tank has been accused of “despicable” and “atrocious” comments after suggesting that Sir Keir Starmer should be “called out” for having Jewish family members.

Dr Taj Hargey, the founder of the Oxford Institute for British Islam (OIBI), a registered charity, claimed that Mr Starmer was “pro-Zionist” and compared Zionists to Nazis.

The Charity Commission is assessing the comments made to determine if there is a role for the regulator, after Jewish groups wrote to the commission.

Dr Hargey has previously been described as “Britain’s liberal imam” and has spearheaded attempts to modernise Islam through opening a gay-friendly mosque, describing his think-tank as a “fringe group” due to its focus on “inclusivity and tolerance”.

As part of The Yorkshire Post’s Battleground Yorkshire election series, Dr Hargey was asked what the specific issues Muslim voters have, such as those among Bradford West’s large Muslim electorate, which is this week’s focus.

During the interview Dr Hargey said there had been an “awakening” among Muslims who now “understand this distinction between Germans and Nazis”, adding: “Not all Germans were Nazis. And similarly, not all Jews are Zionists.”

He went on to talk about members of Sir Keir Starmer’s close family who are Jewish, saying that he “should be called out on this”.

“And so that's part of the reason why he’s pussyfooting on this whole issue,” he added, and accused both Suella Braverman and Priti Patel of being “married to a Zionist”.

A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said they would be contacting the Charity Commission about his comments. “These statements would be laughable from a think-tank supposedly focused on ‘inclusivity and tolerance’, were they not so atrocious,” they said.

A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said the comments were “despicable”.

A Charity Commission spokesperson said: “We are currently assessing the information available to us to determine if there is a role for the Commission, and any next steps.”

A Government spokesperson said: “These comments are totally unacceptable and have no place in our open, tolerant society. We will always call out anti-semitism and antiMuslim hatred and are tackling these issues in all forms, with measures to counter religious hatred and support greater social cohesion, whilst protecting freedom of speech.”

When approached for comment, the OIBI described The Yorkshire Post as a “Jewish publication”. It said that it was “routine” for politicians such as Sadiq Khan and Humza Yousaf to be “called out for their faith”, and so “why are the strong personal Zionist links of people like Keir Starmer, Suella Braverman, Priti Patel and many other high profile figures deliberately concealed from public view?” The charity said legitimate criticism of Israel has been dismissed as antisemitic “for far too long” and that “contrary to trendy Jewish apologists” there was a distinction between anti-semitism and anti-Zionism.

The war in Gaza has shone a light on a lot of unsavoury people in Britain, whose views can only be described as racist, with an alarming rise in anti-semitism following the attacks of October 7.

But very few would have expected such views to be held by Dr Taj Hargey, the founder of the Oxford Institute for British Islam (OIBI) think- tank.

Hargey’s comments about Sir Keir Starmer’s stance on the current conflict in the Middle East being down to the fact that the Labour leader has Jewish family members are incendiary and racist. Not only that but he then goes on to draw comparisons between Jews and Nazis. Hargey is someone who has been described as “Britain’s liberal imam”. He has supposedly been trying to create a space where women can pray alongside men, homosexuals are not excluded. Hargey positioned himself as the poster boy for modern faith in modern Britain.

But repeatedly in his interview with The Yorkshire Post his comments belie all the values that he has espoused in the past.

This was not an accidental slip of the tongue. Nor did Hargey tie himself up in knots through a clumsy choice of words. And it certainly was not a gotcha question presented to him by The Yorkshire Post.

Hargey’s comments are dangerous and reckless, at a time when voices like his are needed to bring together communities.

It is now incumbent on the Charity Commission to clarify whether Hargey remains a fit and proper person to head up the OIBI.

His views certainly should not be used to tarnish Muslim communities across regions such as ours.

As Jahangir Mohammed, the founder and director of the Ayaan Institute think-tank, says many Muslim communities are “reaching out to the wider community” to foster better relationships with all members of society.