UK Charity Commission Appoints Interim Director for Islamic Centre of England

The UK Charity Commission announced on Wednesday that it has appointed an interim director for the 'Islamic Centre of England,' an institution whose previous leaders were appointed by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. This charity has been under a series of legal reviews in the UK since November 2022. A statement from the UK government indicates that the investigation into this centre was initiated due to serious concerns regarding its governance. According to the statement, the investigation also followed extensive contacts between officials and the centre in recent years, including the issuance of an 'official warning' for this charity. The UK government statement notes that 'due to the shortcomings of the trustees' of the charity in fulfilling their legal duties and responsibilities and their failure to protect charitable assets, the Charity Commission has appointed an interim director named 'Emma Moody' for the Islamic Centre of England. The statement adds that 'Emma Moody' will have all the powers and responsibilities of the charity's trustees. Previously, Iranian opponents of the Islamic Republic had held protests in London in front of the Islamic Centre of England, calling for its closure.