A mosque which hosted an antisemitic preacher and a sermon condoning the death penalty for gay people has been referred to the charity regulator by the National Secular Society.
London-based Hounslow Jamia Masjid (HJM) said it hosted Yosry Gabr (pictured), a preacher from Egypt, on Sunday 12th and Monday 13th July.
Gabr has called for the death of Jews and backed jihad against the West, according to the Telegraph.
The NSS also reported a video on the mosque’s YouTube account defending the death penalty for gay people.
The Charity Commission has said it has opened a compliance case into HJM.
HJM’s registered charitable objects include “to advance the Islamic religion”. “The advancement of religion” is a recognised charitable purpose.
Preacher: “the Jews know they will be killed”
According to the Telegraph, Gabr said in a video posted on YouTube in January that “wars will stop after killing the Jews – there will be no wars after killing the Jews”.
In a YouTube video published in December, he said: “The final war will begin in which we will kill every Jew.
“They know this, the Jews know they will be killed”.
In a sermon posted on Instagram in October 2023, he called on Allah to “grant victory” to “all Muslim lands” over “the enemies of the faith”, including “the Americans, the Jews, and all such impostors”.
HJM’s plans to host Gabr prompted shadow home secretary Chris Philp to call for Gabr to be “urgently banned from entering the UK”, saying extremists “fuel the tidal wave of antisemitism we have seen on our streets”.
Labour MP Damien Egan also called on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to “do everything in her power to stop this extremist coming to spread hate and division in Britain”.
HJM also hosted Gabr in 2023.
HJM was attended by Asif Hanif, one of two suicide bombers who attacked Tel Aviv bar Mike’s Place in 2003.
This month the Department for Culture, Media and Sport told the NSS the “promotion of extremist views in charities is unacceptable”. Charities have a duty to provide a public benefit.
In 2025, the Charity Commission opened an investigation into HJM over claims corruption and the misuse of more than £1m.
HJM is recognised by HMRC for gift aid, and has received £546.89K in government grants since 2021.
Head imam: Death penalty for gay sex intended “as a deterrence”
The NSS has also alerted the Charity Commission to a homophobic lecture by the mosque’s head imam.
In 2023 HJM streamed a lecture by Ammar Siddiqui based on a book entitled “Advice for the LGBTQ”.
Siddiqui highlighted that the book says the “agenda” of “LGBTQ” is “to destroy the human race”.
He implied it is acceptable for Islamic states to execute gay people, saying “when the Prophet says kill the doer and the receiver [of gay sex], meaning kill the ones that are doing it, it refers to those people that are in charge, that they put the punishment down”.
He said this command is applicable to “Muslim rulers”.
He said this punishment is put down by Allah “as a deterrence”, to “stop people from doing it, so they feel there’s a fear, they’re scared”.
Twelve countries are thought to have a death penalty for homosexual acts. All but one, Uganda, operate under Islamic sharia law.
The lecture appeared to be aimed at school age children. Siddiqui began by saying the workshop was “especially for our young ones, those who are attending schools especially”.
HJM also runs Suffah Primary School, an independent school which failed to meet Ofsted standards in an inspection earlier this year, including safeguarding standards . Its inspection report said: “The school’s systems for recording and following up safeguarding concerns and risks to pupils’ welfare, health and safety, lack organisation and detail.
“They contain minimal evidence that concerns are dealt with appropriately”.
HJM also runs an after-school “academy“.
NSS: “Our charity system needs urgent reform”
NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said: “It’s outrageous that a registered charity, which has received hundreds of thousands in public money, has hosted a preacher who calls for the death of Jews and suggests to children it is acceptable for Islamic states to execute gay people.
“We urge the Charity Commission to evaluate this organisation’s suitability as both a registered charity, and the proprietor of a school.
“This is the latest in a long line of religious charities found promoting antisemitism and homophobia. Our charity system needs urgent reform to ensure no organisation can exploit this sector to promote hate and division.”