Harsh Criticism of Islamic Center of London Affiliated with Islamic Republic

The UK Charity Commission has severely criticized the Islamic Center of London, which is affiliated with the Islamic Republic, and called for restrictions on its activities.

According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, the UK Charity Commission issued an official statement demanding that the administrators of the Islamic Center of London restrict their online activities and review the topics of speakers at the institution.

In 2023, the UK Charity Commission launched a legal investigation into the Islamic Center of London after receiving reports that it actually serves as the London office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. The Commission expanded its investigation following the arrest of five Iranian men in early May of this year on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack on the Israeli embassy in London.

For this purpose, the UK Charity Commission issued a statement limiting the online activities of the Islamic Center and granting the necessary powers for intervention in investigations, stating: “A formal order has been issued to this center requiring administrators to exercise strict oversight of future speakers and their online activities. This order also includes granting necessary powers for intervention in investigations and cases where misconduct or mismanagement is evident.”

The Telegraph also reported: “Despite repeated warnings, the Islamic Center of London continues suspicious activities and inviting controversial figures to speak.”

Yvette Cooper, the British Home Secretary, announced plans last week to ban the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. David Lammy, Britain’s Foreign Secretary, also summoned the Iranian ambassador to answer questions after three Iranian asylum seekers were accused of espionage in Britain.

David Holdsworth, the Executive Director of the UK Charity Commission, responding to the activities of the Islamic Center of London, said: “The law requires and people expect that the activities of charitable institutions be exclusively for the public good. When a charitable institution fails to act in accordance with its legal obligations, we will intervene.

We now expect the trustees of the Islamic Center of London, which carries the name of a charity, to implement the necessary measures that have been communicated to them. Otherwise, we will use greater legal powers.”

Following reports about the Islamic Center of London’s activities, some figures, including Colonel Richard Camp, the former head of counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan, stated: “A warning is insufficient and the UK Charity Commission should shut down this center immediately in decisive action. The Islamic Republic and its allies represent a direct threat to Britain, and current responses to this Iran-affiliated center are inadequate.”

The Telegraph report also states that Britain faces an increasing threat from the Iranian regime, and dangerous branches of the Islamic Republic have expanded into Britain, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps behind a continuous campaign of cyberattacks, spreading disinformation, false news, and intimidating Iranian opponents in Britain.

Moreover, there is substantial evidence of the dangerous infiltration of Islamic Republic regime agents into British charitable institutions and social organizations, which unfortunately the UK Charity Commission has not taken sufficient action to identify and address, merely issuing warnings and delaying.