London mosque warned by charity watchdog over 'inflammatory' sermons where imam accused Israel of lying about October 7 attack and blamed 'Zionists' for Southport riots

A London mosque has been given an official warning by the Charity Commission over 'inflammatory' and 'divisive' sermons.The Lewisham Islamic Centre in south-east London was investigated following complaints about sermons delivered there, with the regulator concluding there was 'misconduct and/or mismanagement' by bosses.It follows a sermon in October 2023, in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel, delivered by Head Imam Shakeel Begg.Mr Begg, a prominent UK Muslim who unsuccessfully launched a libel case against the BBC for calling him an extremist, claimed the West and Israel were 'smearing' Muslims by saying 'innocent children' were killed during the attack.'We know that's a lie,' he told worshippers. He also discussed the 'suffering at the hands of the oppressors and the Zionists' and went on to label celebrities including Justin Bieber and Kylie Jenner 'sick' – thought to be linked to their support for Israel after the attack.A second event in August 2024 saw Imam Ashraf Dabous discuss the Southport riots, saying of the rioters 'their manipulators are Zionists, and they are supporters of the state of Israel' and referencing a 'Zionist agenda'.The violence broke out following misinformation online about the identity of the Southport killer, whose knife attack led to the deaths of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine. The Lewisham Islamic Centre in south-east London was investigated following complaints about sermons delivered there, with the regulator concluding there was 'misconduct and/or mismanagement' by bosses It follows a sermon in October 2023, in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel, delivered by Head Imam Shakeel BeggThe Charity Commission said its finding of misconduct or mismanagement also took into account other events held at the centre, and was 'connected, but not limited to' two sermons which were the subject of complaints.It found the charity also failed to carry out or record adequate risk assessment and due diligence 'in relation to an external speaker', saying this 'put the Charity’s resources including its reputation at unnecessary risk'.It added the centre also failed to implement adequate policies and procedures to mitigate the risks associated with speakers.The warning will remain visible on the Charity Commission's website for a year, and the regulator warns that failure to remedy the failings could lead to further action. In a response, Lewisham Islamic Centre said it 'rejects' the findings and called the warning 'overzealous,' adding that 'regulatory expectations' on Muslim charities are 'unnecessarily burdensome'.It added it is seeking legal advice. Mr Begg has been associated with the centre for at least 27 years.In 2016, he sued the BBC for dubbing him an extremist – but Lord Justice Haddon-Cave dismissed this, saying that Mr Begg had promoted religious violence 'by telling Muslims that violence in support of Islam would constitute a man's greatest deed'. A separate sermon by Imam Ashraf Dabous saw him blame 'Zionists' for the Southport riotsHe previously said his statements were interpreted in a different way to how he intended them, he condemns extremism and does not want to encourage violence. Schoolchildren have regularly visited the mosque in recent years, and Mr Begg has been pictured speaking with them. It has been widely reported that Lee Rigby's killers worshipped at the mosque in the months before their Woolwich attack. In a statement, Lewisham Islamic Centre said: 'Lewisham Islamic Centre is deeply concerned by the Charity Commission's attempted regulatory action against the Centre and its trustees. 'The matters raised by the Commission represent a troubling attempt to scrutinise, restrict and penalise legitimate religious worship, the expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people, and the activities of a Muslim charitable institution.'It said that the sermon in October 2023 took place on a date when 'more than 3,500 Palestinians had been 'murdered.'It added: 'The Centre does not accept that a regulator should be placed in the position of prescribing the permissible content of Islamic sermons or scrutinising established forms of Muslim prayer according to its own interpretation of religious language and expression.'The statement ended: 'While issuing a public warning is not mandatory and, in our view, overzealous, the Commission has nevertheless failed to provide adequate reasons for considering it necessary to publish an official warning, or for concluding that doing so was in the charity's best interests or served the public interest.'The Centre is continuing to seek legal advice on the most appropriate course of action. Should legal action be pursued, we would urge others to come forward and join a united challenge to an overbearing Commission in defence of religious freedom.'