London Mosque Reacts Angrily After Receiving an Official Warning Over What Its Imam Said  During a Sermon

Lewisham Islamic Centre in south-east London has strongly criticised the Charity Commission after receiving an official warning over sermons about Palestine. The mosque accused the watchdog of unfairly targeting Muslims for showing support for Palestinians and interfering with their religious activities.

The Charity Commission issued the warning on November 11, 2026, after receiving complaints about sermons delivered at the mosque. The regulator said some of the comments made during the sermons were inflammatory, caused division and were not in the charity’s best interests.

According to the Commission, its investigation found problems with how the mosque managed some of its religious events and speakers.

The watchdog has now ordered the mosque to improve how it organises events and chooses speakers. It also warned that further action could be taken if the mosque fails to address the concerns raised.

One of the sermons that attracted attention was delivered in October 2023 by Imam Shakeel Begg. During the sermon, he spoke about Palestinians suffering at the hands of what he described as oppressors and Zionists.

The sermon took place during the early weeks of the war in Gaza, following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s military response.

However, Lewisham Islamic Centre has rejected the Commission’s findings, arguing that its religious leaders were simply expressing concern for Palestinians who were suffering during the conflict.

In a statement, the mosque said the Commission had even raised concerns about prayers offered for Palestinians in Gaza and Jerusalem.

The centre explained that these prayers asked God to protect Palestinians, heal those who were injured and help people suffering from oppression.

According to the mosque, such prayers are a normal part of Islamic worship and should not be treated as wrongdoing.

The mosque also pointed out that when the sermon was delivered, more than 3,500 Palestinians had reportedly been killed, while over 1,000 others were believed to be missing under collapsed buildings.

It argued that Muslims should be allowed to express sympathy for people suffering in Palestine without facing punishment or official warnings.

The centre said Palestinians deserve compassion, dignity, justice and protection under international law, regardless of the actions of Hamas or any other organisation.

It also insisted that Muslims should not be discouraged from speaking about Palestinian suffering through prayers, religious teachings or peaceful expressions of their views.

Lewisham Islamic Centre has confirmed that it is seeking legal advice as it considers how to respond to the warning.

The controversy has also attracted criticism from legal professionals.

Zillur Rahman, a partner at Rahman Lowe Solicitors, questioned why prayers made by Muslim religious leaders about the Israeli military were being treated differently from prayers made by Jewish religious leaders in support of the same military.

He argued that both religious organisations are registered charities and questioned whether the Charity Commission was applying the same standards to everyone.

Rahman suggested that the different treatment raised concerns about fairness and possible discrimination.

The warning against Lewisham Islamic Centre is not the first time the Charity Commission has taken action against a Muslim organisation over comments relating to Palestine.

Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, several mosques and Muslim charities across Britain have faced investigations, official warnings and other restrictions over sermons, speeches and social media posts.

One case involved Nottingham Islam Information Point, where a religious leader delivered a sermon in October 2023 that included an Islamic teaching about future conflict between Muslims and Jews.

The Charity Commission considered the sermon inflammatory and divisive. It later issued a warning and banned trustee Harun Abdur Rashid Holmes from serving as a charity trustee or senior charity manager for three years.

In another case, the Mosque and Islamic Centre of Brent received an official warning in 2025 after the Commission investigated five speeches delivered towards the end of 2023.

The watchdog concluded that four of those speeches contained comments it considered inflammatory and divisive.

Central Oxford Mosque Society also received a warning over social media posts published in October and November 2023.

Some of the posts included cartoons criticising how major news organisations reported on the war in Gaza. The Commission said two of the cartoons contained inflammatory and divisive material.

In Cardiff, Al-Manar Centre Trust was warned after sharing a video in November 2023 showing Hamas fighters and the release of Israeli hostages.

The Charity Commission argued that the video could give a positive impression of Hamas and might be understood as justifying or downplaying the October 7 attacks.

The Abdullah Quilliam Society in Liverpool also faced regulatory action over sermons and speeches, including a video published in June 2025 that criticised government figures and what it described as the influence of the Israeli lobby.

The Commission later introduced restrictions and requirements concerning the charity’s sermons, events and online publications.

These cases have led to growing concerns among some Muslim organisations about whether mosques are being treated fairly when discussing Palestine.

However, the Charity Commission maintains that its actions are based on charity law and the responsibilities of those running charitable organisations.

The regulator says charities must ensure that their activities serve the public interest and that their premises are not used for activities that could damage their reputation or go against their charitable purposes.

In July 2025, the Commission revealed that it had opened more than 300 regulatory cases involving charities supporting different sides of the Middle East conflict over the previous 18 months.

These investigations were not limited to Muslim organisations.

Despite this, the repeated warnings involving British mosques have raised questions about how far religious leaders can go when discussing political conflicts during sermons.

For Lewisham Islamic Centre, the main concern is that prayers and religious teachings expressing sympathy for Palestinians are being treated as unacceptable.

The mosque maintains that supporting people affected by war should not be considered inflammatory simply because the issue is politically sensitive.

As the centre considers possible legal action, the disagreement has brought renewed attention to the balance between religious freedom, freedom of expression and the rules that charities in Britain are expected to follow.