Strong criticism of the London Islamic Center affiliated with the Islamic Republic

The British Charity Commission strongly criticized the Islamic Center of London affiliated with the Islamic Republic and called for restrictions on their activities.

According to the British newspaper "The Telegraph", the British Charity Commission issued an official statement, asking the trustees of the Islamic Center of London to limit their online activity and review the topics of speeches given by individuals at the institution.

The UK Charity Commission launched a legal investigation into the Islamic Centre of London in 2023 after receiving reports that it was in fact the London office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The commission also expanded its investigation following the arrest of five Iranian men in early May this year on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack on the Israeli embassy in London.

The British Charity Commission issued a statement restricting the Islamic Center's online activities and granting it the necessary powers to intervene in investigations, writing: "A formal order has been issued to the center requiring the trustees to closely monitor future speakers and their online activities. The order also includes granting it the necessary powers to intervene in investigations and cases where misconduct or mismanagement is evident."

The Telegraph newspaper also reported: "The Islamic Center of London continues to engage in suspicious activities and invite controversial figures to speak, despite repeated warnings."

Last week, British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to ban the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). British Foreign Secretary David Lammy summoned the Iranian ambassador to Britain after three Iranian asylum seekers were accused of spying in the UK.

David Holdsworth, chief executive of the British Charity Commission, said in response to the activities of the Islamic Centre of London: "The law requires, and the public expects, that charities should act exclusively for the public good. When a charity fails to comply with its legal duties, we will take action."

"We now expect the trustees of the Islamic Centre of London, which bears the charity's name, to take the necessary steps that have been communicated to them. Otherwise, we will use further legal powers."

After reports of the London Islamic Center's activities were published, some figures, including Colonel Richard Kemp, the former head of counterterrorism in Afghanistan, stated: "Reminders are not enough and the British Charity Commission must take decisive action now to close this center. The Islamic Republic and its allies pose a direct threat to Britain and the current response to this Iran-affiliated center is not enough."

The Telegraph report also states that Britain is facing a growing threat from the Iranian regime, and that dangerous branches of the Islamic Republic have expanded to the UK, and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is behind a constant campaign of cyberattacks, the spread of disinformation, fake news, and intimidation of Iranian opponents in the UK.

In addition, there is much evidence of the dangerous influence of elements of the Islamic Republic regime in British charities and social organizations, and unfortunately, the British Charity Commission has not taken sufficient measures to identify and deal with this issue, and only hesitates to warn them.