Mosque glorified Hamas in video post, inquiry finds

Trustees of a mosque in south Wales have been given a formal warning by the Charity Commission after sharing a video in the wake of the October 7 terrorist attacks showing a "positive image" of Hamas, a proscribed terrorist group in the UK.

An inquiry by the regulator found misconduct or mismanagement, or both, by trustees of the Al-Manar Centre Trust in Cardiff over a video posted on the charity's social media account in November 2023.

The trust's objectives include Islamic education and religious harmony, but the commission said the video it shared tried to justify the October 2023 terrorist attack on Israel.

The Al-Manar Centre Trust said the incident was due to "genuine human error".

Its trustees added in a statement: "At no point was there any intention by the charity or its trustees to promote or glorify any proscribed organisation."

The inquiry concluded: "The video was likely to lead an ordinary member of the public to infer that the charity was supportive of and or glorified terrorism."

On 7 October 2023, hundreds of members of Hamas and allied Palestinian armed groups attacked southern Israel, where they killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 57,500 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

The inquiry was told the chair of the Al-Manar Centre Trust posted the video after listening only to the audio, which he believed aligned with the charity's objectives.

In the inquiry's view, the video - which was not produced by or for the charity - "attempts to downplay or justify" the October 2023 attacks.

It found the chair's decision to rely on the audio alone was "wholly inadequate", adding the chair should have recognised the narrative could be "interpreted as supporting Hamas' actions".

An order to review all material on the charity's website and social media platforms in October 2024 has been fully complied with, the commission added.

It also found the "video did not further the charity's objects for the public benefit".

The trustees failed to "implement adequate social media controls", the regulator said, despite being given guidance on protecting the charity from extremist abuse in 2014.

"A charity's reputation can be severely damaged in an instant through reckless use of social media," said the commission's Joshua Farbridge.

He said the conduct of the trustees fell below the standards expected of them.

"There is no excuse for failing to properly review content before it is shared by a charity," he added.

"Our swift intervention, which included an Official Warning and a legal Order requiring specific action to be taken, underscores the Commission's firm commitment to ensuring charities are not misused in supporting or glorifying terrorism."

The charity's trustees said it acknowledged the report, adding: "This incident resulted from a genuine human error, which has since been addressed through new policies and training.

"At no point was there any intention by the charity or its trustees to promote or glorify any proscribed organisation.

"The trustees have cooperated fully with the inquiry and remain committed to good governance and serving the community."