Islamic charity warned over 'divisive' sermon delivered days after October 7 attacks

'INFLAMMATORY' SPEECH SPARKS PREACHER'S DISQUALIFICATION

- By GEORGE PALMER-SOADY

THE trustee of a Nottingham Islamic charity has been disqualified after delivering an “inflammatory and divisive” sermon after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.

The Charity Commission has also given a formal warning to the Islam Information Point, in Radford, after the religious speech on October 13, 2023.

The regulator said language such as “the hour will not begin until the Muslims fight the Jews” was included in the sermon.

One of more than 300 cases raised to the regulator after the October 7 attacks on Israel, the sermon also included statements believed to be discouraging people to vote.

The speech, delivered by trustee Harun Abdur Rashid Holmes, called on people not to “busy yourselves with politics”.

Mr Holmes was later found to have lacked “the good judgement expected of a trustee” by the charity regulator, and was subsequently disqualified in July last year.

He will not be able to serve in a senior position at any charity for three years.