The charity supporting Britain’s oldest mosque is under investigation after it posted a video suggesting that members of the government had been receiving payments from the "Israeli lobby".
The Charity Commission said its probe into the Abdullah Quilliam Society was launched after the charity posted a clip in June 2025 “whose contents may not have furthered the charity’s [objectives, and] could potentially be considered political, divisive and inflammatory.
"The video suggested that named senior members of the Westminster Government were acting improperly and had received donations from the 'Israeli lobby' and that the Commission was also being unduly influenced to ‘silence’ trustees."
The Abdullah Quilliam Society received an official warning from the charities watchdog over a sermon delivered at the mosque shortly after the October 7 massacre, which called on Muslims to "continue waging your war".
The society runs the 128-year-old Liverpool mosque of the same name and was set up to restore the Muslim centre and “promote correct knowledge and understanding of Islam and its true spirit faith for the benefit of all”.
The mosque was opened in 1889 but closed its doors in 1908. After 106 years, in 2014, it was reopened by the group with the goal of restoring it, through charitable donations, to its original grandeur.
According to the Charity Commission, the controversial video appeared to be drawn from a sermon delivered at the mosque in June. It has since been removed from the charity’s social media platforms.
The investigation will evaluate the general administration, management, and governance of the charity by its trustees to "determine whether there has been mismanagement/misconduct".
In the meantime, the Charity Commission has issued an order prohibiting political sermons at the mosque.
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