Cardiff mosque charity warned after sharing Hamas-glorifying video
Regulator says Al-Manar Centre posted content appearing to justify 7 October massacre
A British mosque has been formally warned by the Charity Commission after an investigation found it shared a video appearing to glorify Hamas and justify the group’s 7 October attack on Israel.
The Al-Manar Centre Trust, which operates a mosque in Cardiff, was found to have committed misconduct and mismanagement when its chair posted the video on the charity’s social media account in November 2023 without reviewing the full content. The Commission concluded the video gave a “positive image” of Hamas, which is banned in the UK as a terrorist organisation.
According to the inquiry, the footage “attempts to downplay or justify” Hamas’s assault, in which around 1,200 people were murdered and more than 250 taken hostage. It added that the post was likely to lead an ordinary member of the public to infer the charity supported or glorified terrorism.
The chair of trustees, who was solely responsible for managing the charity’s social media at the time, told the Commission he had listened only to the audio before sharing the post, believing it aligned with the trust’s objectives of Islamic education and religious harmony.
The regulator described this approach as “wholly inadequate”, stating the narration alone should have raised red flags.
“There is no excuse for failing to properly review content before it is shared by a charity,” said Joshua Farbridge, Head of Compliance Visits and Inspections at the Charity Commission. “A charity’s reputation can be severely damaged in an instant through reckless use of social media.”
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 inquiry found the charity had failed to implement adequate controls despite guidance on preventing extremist abuse in 2014. At the time of the incident, its social media policy consisted only of a basic flowchart with no effective oversight.
As part of the regulator’s enforcement action, trustees were ordered to review all website and social media content. The Charity Commission confirmed the trust had fully complied with the order.
In a statement, the trustees said: “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.”
The Commission said it had shared information with the police in relation to the video during the course of its investigation.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
