Aim said the decision had been made to postpone Wilayah “in light of serious threats levelled at the safety of children at the camp”. The charity claimed “foreign political lobby groups, media outlets and far-right thugs” had made “unfounded allegations that heighten the risk and encourage harm to children in the UK”.
The camp for children aged nine to 14 was due to take place at the end of August (Photo: Facebook)[Missing Credit]
Camp Wilayah has been going on each summer for over a decade. A photograph from 2017’s edition showed Shia cleric Hasan Ali al-Taraiki delivering a sermon at the camp, while another image from 2015 showed a portrait of Khamenei hanging on the wall of a room where children were being instructed.
UK Lawyers for Israel claimed the camp posed a “grave threat to children’s psychological wellbeing” and a “serious risk of radicalisation,” and called for it to be delayed pending an investigation.
With less than two weeks until the camp was set to begin, it is unclear if Wilayah will secure an alternative venue for its £225-a-head, four-day programme.
An advert for the camp shows young people surrounding a fire (Photo: Aim)[Missing Credit]
The decision from the scouts comes amid increased scrutiny of organisations with links to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
UK authorities have foiled more than 20 assassination and kidnap plots linked to Tehran since January 2022.
Now, British representatives of Iran must register with the government under the new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (Firs), which has placed the Iranian state, including its intelligence services and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), on its highest tier.
The charity behind Camp Wilayah routinely shares quotes from speeches by Ayatollah Khamenei and his predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini.
It also described Khamenei’s books as an “excellent read and a great source of knowledge, inspiration and enlightenment”.
In a post on its Instagram account, Aim quoted Khomeini’s calls for a global Islamic revolution: “Establishing the Islamic System worldwide is the ultimate objective of the Revolution.”
Aim said Khamenei's books were an 'excellent read' and an 'inspiration' (Photo: Instagram)[Missing Credit]
The charity also appeared to blame Israel for the Hamas-led attack on October 7, saying five days after the massacre that “a flood was inevitable”. Hamas’ codename for the attack was Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
A video on the charity’s Instagram claimed that “Zionists brought this disaster on themselves” and “the current government of the occupying Zionist entity bears the blame”.
The next day – before Israel launched its full-scale response to October 7 – Aim posted in support of “the righteous cause of the Palestinian people... by granting them their legitimate rights and liberating their usurped lands”.
Aim blamed the 'Zionist entity' for the Hamas-led attack on October 7 (Photo: Instagram)[Missing Credit]
Aim claimed that in the absence of “justice,” the Palestinian “struggle against their oppressors will naturally and inevitably persist”.
And, in a report about the camp in The Sunday Times, Lord Walney, the government’s former extremism adviser, said he was concerned by the plans for Aim to host a children’s summer camp.
“We cannot allow propaganda and influence from this theocratic dictatorship to be spread to children in the UK,” he said. “It is deeply alarming that schoolchildren are being taken to these camps. This raises further questions about the influence of Iran here in the UK.”
Aim regularly posts videos of speeches made by Ayatollah Khamenei (Photo: Instagram)[Missing Credit]
In a statement about the cancelled camp, Aim said there had been “no evidence of wrongdoing” at Wilahay and claimed that “our children are being punished simply for their faith”.
“For over a decade, Camp Wilayah has been a cherished space where our children could enjoy the outdoors, grow in their values, and form lifelong friendships. Many of those who attended Camp Wilayah are now doctors, plumbers, teachers, engineers, and public servants, proud citizens who give back to Britain every single day.”
“To attack such a wholesome and positive tradition is shameful,” Aim went on.
"Not only is this despicable behaviour, but it is Islamophobia in plain sight, and it should alarm every member of society. In an age where far-right hate is being normalised, it is more important than ever to stand together against prejudice in all its forms.”
The statement claimed: “Britain is facing an increasingly dangerous climate of hate, driven in part by hardline pro-Israel lobby groups such as the controversial UK Lawyers for Israel, ironically a registered ‘charity’, which targets Muslim institutions and those critical of the Israeli occupation, while defending and whitewashing the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
"Alongside them stands an emboldened far-right seeking to normalise anti-Muslim bigotry. Together, these forces are poisoning public life and making Islamophobia not only tolerated but encouraged. All too often, public institutions, including the police and local authorities, are either unable or unwilling to protect Muslims from harassment, abuse, and orchestrated efforts to silence us.”
“This is not just about a camp, it is about our right to gather, to raise our children, and to live free from fear. We will not be intimidated, we will not retreat, and we will continue to build a stronger, fairer society for everyone,” Aim’s statement concluded.
In a statement to the JC, the Scouts said: "The safety of young people, volunteers, and the public is Hertfordshire Scouts’ highest priority.
“Following increased public attention surrounding a booking by The Ahlulbayt Islamic Mission (Aim), we have become concerned about our ability to fully secure the perimeter of our large site against potential third-party disruption. This could compromise the safe and smooth operation of the site during the scheduled weekend.
“After conducting a thorough risk assessment, we have concluded that the situation poses a safety risk to all individuals intending to use the facility during that time.
“As a result, we have reviewed the Aim booking with Phasels Wood Activity Centre and can confirm that it has been cancelled."
