𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

An Islamic charity accused of being Iran’s UK “nerve centre” for Iranian influence in the country is facing a demand for it to be shut down.

In a letter seen by the Daily Express, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp urged the Charity Commission to immediately shut the centre, which he claims sits “at the heart” of “a sustained campaign of hostile Iranian state activity on British soil”, on the grounds that it “has been used to further the purposes of a hostile foreign state”.

The Islamic Centre of England (ICE) itself has been claimed to be “a hub for regime influence and propaganda”. Founded in 1998 and based in Maida Vale, London, the ICE is a charitable institution that provides services to the local Muslim community.

The centre describes itself as a “religious and cultural centre” and says it works to meet the “social, cultural, educational and recreational needs of community members, especially women and the younger generation”.

A spokesperson for the ICE told the Express: “The Centre is an English charity, governed by English law and exists to promote religious, educational and community based purposes.”

They added: “The Centre does not support or condone the political activity or follow the direction of any political person or country.”

But the centre has been under investigation by the Charity Commission since 2022 over serious governance concerns, with the inquiry looking at “the identification and management of conflicts of interest and/or loyalty” from the charity’s trustees.

A 2024 Policy Exchange report, cited in Philp’s letter, notes that the director of ICE was previously appointed by Ayatollah Khamenei, and that its 1996 memorandum of association stated that “at all times at least one of the trustees shall be a representative of the Supreme Spiritual Leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

Mr Philp’s intervention follows a wave of hostile actions allegedly linked to Tehran, including last year when three Iranian asylum seekers were charged with spying for Iran and conspiring to inflict serious violence on UK-based journalists.

Five further Iranians were arrested in connection with an alleged scheme to attack the Israeli embassy.

The centre held a vigil in 2020 for Qasem Soleimani, a commander of the IRGC killed by the United States, which led to an official warning by the Charity Commission. It was even alleged to be the “nerve centre” for Iran’s operations in the UK in a paper by the Policy Exchange think tank, which claimed ICE “sits at the heart of a network of institutions that project influence on behalf of the Islamic Republic”.

The Jewish Chronicle revealed last year that the charity’s YouTube channel still hosted videos from 2020 in which the late Ayatollah Khamenei called for “multiple intifadas” to remove the “cancerous tumour” of Israel.

A spokesperson for the ICE said Khamenei “has been regarded by millions of Shia Muslims worldwide as a senior religious authority and for his spiritual guidance and many of our community have followed his edicts”.

Following Khamenei’s death earlier this year in US airstrikes, vigils were reportedly held at the ICE where mourners “sobbed as they paid tribute” to him, with one mourner chanting: “We will obey you Khamenei.”

The centre said: “In line with its religious duties, the Centre holds commemorations for the deceased in accordance with Islamic customs and rites. These events are religious in nature, are not endorsements and are fully aligned to our religious purposes.”

It added: “Any events held within the Centre should be understood in that context.”

In his letter, Mr Philp urged the Commission to conclude its inquiry immediately, shut down the charity and refer the matter to the Home Office and Security Service.

Mr Philp said: “Britain cannot continue to allow organisations with documented links to a state that murders dissidents, funds terrorism, and plots violence on our streets to operate freely – let alone under the protected banner of charitable status.”

The Charity Commission was approached for comment.