Review of Islamic Relief Worldwide delayed after UK watchdog fails to provide guidance
The UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee is delaying discussions on the future of Islamic Relief Worldwide after Britain’s aid watchdog – the Charity Commission – failed to give guidance.
IRW came under scrutiny after some of its senior figures posted anti-Semitic comments and support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
The DEC, which raises millions of pounds for relief in crisis-hit countries, was due to review the IRW this week. But the crunch meeting was adjourned after the Charity Commission failed to respond to its concerns.
The commission launched a preliminary investigation into IRW in July and the DEC had expected to receive a response in October.
“Any guidance issued by the ... Charity Commission as a result of the incidents would be considered by the committee,” the DEC said.
“We had been expecting that guidance in late October but it hasn’t yet been provided.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation and the committee will await the Charity Commission’s findings and recommendations before concluding what action is required.”
IRW receives millions of pounds of aid as a member of DEC and is one of 14 UK agencies in the alliance, which includes Oxfam and the British Red Cross.
The Charity Commission, which has a compliance case against IRW, said it had met the new board of trustees.
“Our compliance case into Islamic Relief Worldwide is ongoing and we continue to examine the serious allegations and the charity’s response to them as part of that case,” it said.
“We have held meetings with the charity and cannot comment further at this time.”
In July, IRW trustee and director Heshmat Khalifa stepped down after being challenged about anti-Semitic social media posts.
He also called the militant Palestinian organisation Hamas “the purest resistance movement in modern history”.
IRW said he had acknowledged that his posts were unacceptable and apologised for falling short of the charity’s code of conduct.
It said he would play no further part in any Islamic Relief boards, with immediate effect.
In another incident, Abdul Mannan Bhatti, a fund-raising co-ordinator with IRW, deleted his Facebook account after posts featuring quotes from Sayyid Qutb, a founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, were found.
IRW’s latest accounts, published in September, show the charity received £565,000 ($749,000) last year and more than £1m in 2018 from Qatar Charity, which is closely tied to Muslim Brotherhood leader Yusuf Al Qaradawi.
Since the incidents came to light, IRW’s new board of trustees launched an independent commission to review senior executive and trustee screening, vetting policies and practices of all IRW entities and associated organisations.
It will be led by former attorney general Dominic Grieve, supported by the former chair of the Disasters Emergency Committee, Clive Jones.
The commission is expected to report back in January.