Charity Commission Warns Lewisham Islamic Centre Over Inflammatory Sermons, London 2026

Key Points

• The Charity Commission has issued an official warning under section 75A of the Charities Act 2011 to Lewisham Islamic Centre (LIC) in south-east London following a regulatory compliance investigation.
• The watchdog made a formal finding of misconduct and/or mismanagement, concluding that two sermons hosted at the mosque contained material that was “inflammatory, divisive and not in the charity’s best interests”.
• One sermon from October 2023, delivered by Imam Shakeel Begg, referred to Palestinian “suffering at the hands of the oppressors and the Zionists” and described celebrities Justin Bieber and Kylie Jenner as “sick”.
• A second sermon in August 2024, delivered by head imam Ashraf Dabous regarding those involved in the Southport riots, stated that “their manipulators are Zionists, and they are supporters of the state of Israel”.
• The regulator has ordered the trustees to review, implement, and adhere to a robust events and speakers policy or face further regulatory action, with the warning remaining on the Register of Charities for one year.
• Lewisham Islamic Centre has strongly rejected the decision, describing it as an “unacceptable interference” that penalises religious worship and solidarity with Palestinians, and confirmed it is seeking legal advice.

Lewisham (South London News) November 12, 2026 – The Charity Commission has issued an official warning to Lewisham Islamic Centre after a regulatory compliance investigation found the south-east London mosque responsible for misconduct and mismanagement in relation to two sermons deemed “inflammatory, divisive and not in the charity’s best interests”.

Why Did the Charity Commission Issue an Official Warning to Lewisham Islamic Centre?

The independent regulator for charities in England and Wales announced on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, that it had formally reprimanded the trustees of Lewisham Islamic Centre (LIC) following complaints and adverse media coverage surrounding speeches delivered at its premises. Although the Official Warning was formally issued on 20 October 2026 under section 75A of the Charities Act 2011, its public confirmation this week marks a significant escalation in regulatory scrutiny over the governance of religious institutions.

In its official announcement, the Charity Commission stated that it had opened a compliance case after complaints were raised regarding sermons delivered at the mosque in recent years. Following an assessment of the evidence, the watchdog concluded that there had been a breach of trust or duty, alongside misconduct and/or mismanagement by the charity’s trustees.

As reported by the Charity Commission in its official press release, the regulator determined that the failings were connected to “hosting two sermons that included content that was inflammatory, divisive, and not in the charity’s best interests”. The watchdog’s notice mandates that LIC must ensure all activities conducted on its premises further its charitable objects, benefit the public, and do not unnecessarily risk damaging the institution’s reputation. Furthermore, the Commission instructed the charity to “review, implement, and adhere to, a robust and suitable events and speakers policy which applies to all of the charity’s speakers” or face further regulatory sanctions. The official warning will remain published on the charity’s entry on the Register of Charities for a period of one year.

Which Sermons Sparked the Regulatory Investigation?

While the Charity Commission’s public notice did not explicitly name the individuals involved or quote the specific speeches, multiple media outlets identified the two sermons at the centre of the watchdog’s inquiry.

According to reporting by Sky News, the first sermon under scrutiny was delivered by Imam Shakeel Begg in October 2023, shortly after the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel and the onset of the military conflict in Gaza. During that address, Imam Shakeel Begg spoke of Palestinian “suffering at the hands of the oppressors and the Zionists”. As further reported by Jewish News and The National, Imam Shakeel Begg also referred to prominent celebrities, including Justin Bieber and Kylie Jenner, describing them as “sick” in an apparent reference to their public expressions of support for Israel at the time.

The second sermon cited in media reports took place in August 2024, following the widespread civil unrest and riots across England triggered by the fatal stabbings of three young girls at a dance class in Southport. As reported by The National and V2 Radio, the mosque’s head imam, Ashraf Dabous, addressed the unrest during a sermon in which he referred to a “Zionist agenda” and said of those involved in the riots that “their manipulators are Zionists, and they are supporters of the state of Israel”.

How Has Lewisham Islamic Centre Responded to the Watchdog’s Findings?

Lewisham Islamic Centre has mounted a robust defence of its sermons and strongly contested the Charity Commission’s findings, confirming that its trustees are taking legal advice on how to challenge the sanction.

In a formal statement published in response to the regulator’s announcement, as reported by Civil Society, Lewisham Islamic Centre declared:

“Lewisham Islamic Centre is deeply concerned by the Charity Commission’s attempted regulatory action against the centre and its trustees.”

The statement continued:

“The matters raised by the commission represent a troubling attempt to scrutinise, restrict and penalise legitimate religious worship, the expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people, and the activities of a Muslim charitable institution.”

As reported by Charity Times, the mosque’s statement framed the regulatory intervention as a broader issue of religious freedom, asking:

“At its heart, this case raises a fundamental question: should a Muslim charity face regulatory sanctions for allowing its Imams to pray for Palestinians suffering death, destruction and oppression, to address matters of profound concern to their congregation in Friday sermons, and to express the religious and moral [principles of their faith]?”

Furthermore, as reported by 5Pillars, Lewisham Islamic Centre provided additional context regarding the October 2023 sermon, noting that the remarks were delivered at a time when “more than 3,500 Palestinians had been murdered, with more than 1,000 unaccounted for under the rubble”. The centre condemned what it characterised as “unacceptable interference” in Islamic religious worship, arguing that prayers for Palestinians had been improperly swept into the Commission’s decision-making process.

As reported by Middle East Eye and V2 Radio, the centre also issued a direct call to other organisations within the charitable sector, stating:

“This is about more than one mosque or one charity. Solidarity with the oppressed must not become grounds for charitable sanction.”

The statement added:

“Should legal action be pursued, we would urge others to come forward and join a united challenge to an overbearing commission in defence of religious freedom.”

What Is the Background to Lewisham Islamic Centre and Previous Controversies?

Lewisham Islamic Centre, located on Lewisham High Street in south-east London, is a prominent registered charity whose stated constitutional objectives include the advancement of the Islamic religion, the provision of Islamic education, and the promotion of community cohesion within the London Borough of Lewisham and beyond. According to its trustees’ annual reports, the centre serves roughly 5,000 worshippers every week across daily prayers, Friday congregations, and educational programmes for both adults and children.

However, the institution and its leadership have previously been the subject of intense legal and media scrutiny. In October 2016, Imam Shakeel Begg, who served as the centre’s chief imam, lost a high-profile libel action at the High Court against the BBC. The legal dispute stemmed from a November 2013 broadcast of the Sunday Politics programme, presented by Andrew Neil, during which Imam Shakeel Begg was described as an extremist preacher who had previously promoted violent jihad.

Following a multi-day trial at the Royal Courts of Justice, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave dismissed Imam Shakeel Begg’s claim for damages, ruling that the BBC had proven its defence of justification. In his written judgment, the judge concluded that while Imam Shakeel Begg presented a benign face to the local inter-faith community in Lewisham, he had espoused extremist Islamic positions and promoted religious violence in speeches delivered between 2006 and 2011. Despite the ruling, Imam Shakeel Begg denied being an extremist and maintained his role at the south London centre.

More recently, the Charity Commission has intensified its oversight of faith-based charities across England and Wales in the wake of heightened geopolitical tensions following the October 2023 Middle East conflict and domestic social unrest in 2024. The warning to Lewisham Islamic Centre follows similar regulatory interventions, including an official warning issued to the Mosque and Islamic Centre of Brent in 2025 over speeches delivered in late 2023 that the watchdog also deemed inflammatory and divisive.

How Could This Development Affect Religious Charities and Trustees?

The formal reprimand issued to Lewisham Islamic Centre carries immediate operational consequences for the mosque and sets a clear regulatory benchmark for religious charities, trustees, and faith leaders across England and Wales.

For the trustees of Lewisham Islamic Centre, the immediate priority is compliance with the statutory requirements set out in the Section 75A warning. Trustees bear joint and several legal responsibility for ensuring that charity assets, premises, and platforms are used strictly in furtherance of charitable purposes and do not bring the organisation into disrepute. Failure to implement and enforce a rigorous vetting and monitoring policy for all speakers—including internal imams as well as visiting guests—could expose the trustees to escalated regulatory measures, including a statutory inquiry under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011, the suspension or removal of trustees, or restrictions on the charity’s financial transactions. Additionally, having an official warning publicly displayed on the Register of Charities for twelve months may affect the centre’s standing with institutional grant-makers, local authority partners, and banking providers conducting due diligence.

For the wider sector of faith-based charities and religious leaders, this development underscores the strict boundaries between religious expression and charity law compliance. While charities are permitted to engage in advocacy or address moral and humanitarian issues connected to their charitable purposes, the Charity Commission has demonstrated that rhetoric deemed divisive, inflammatory, or straying into controversial geopolitical commentary will trigger enforcement action. Consequently, charity boards across the United Kingdom will likely face increased pressure to formalise pre-event risk assessments, establish clear editorial guidelines for sermons and public broadcasts, and document governance oversight to protect their organisations from regulatory liability.