A ruling member of Hamas has stood down as a trustee of one of Britain’s most prominent mosques after an inquiry by the charity regulator.
Mohammed Sawalha’s role at the Finsbury Park Mosque, north London, was investigated by the Charity Commission after The Times revealed in 2017 that he had been appointed to Hamas’s political bureau. The mosque said it was aware of his Hamas role until the report. Mr Sawalha had been a trustee since 2010, making him legally responsible for the management.
The US and EU designate Hamas as a terrorist group. Only the military wing is banned in Britain, meaning that Mr Sawalha has committed no offence.
Separately, the mosque became notorious in the 1990s as the base for the preacher Abu Hamza, now serving life in jail in the US for terrorism offences. The mosque’s new management has worked to shed its links to extremism.
The Charity Commission said it had begun an inquiry after reports about Mr Sawalha’s Hamas role but that it had not reached any findings. [The Times (£)] Read more
