Government Accuses Charity of Extremist Links
A Birmingham-based charity has blasted the government’s decision to scrap their grants over alleged links with extremists.
Islamic Help said it was “surprised, dismayed and angered” by the Department for Communities and Local Government’s decision. The government said it would not be funding any group who were filled with “with hatred, division and violence.” In a written statement, Secretary of State for the department, Eric Pickles claimed Islamic Help had invited, “an individual with extremist views to speak at an event, and that the Muslim Charities Forum (MCF) – an umbrella organisation for Muslim charities – had failed to reassure us that they have robust measures in place to investigate and challenge their members.”
A spokesman for the charity said “the speaker alleged to have extremist views had not been identified to them.”
He added that although the amount of money they would lose is around about £7,000 was a “drop in the ocean”, the move “besmirches the reputation and integrity” of people who had taken part in their campaigns.
Whilst a spokesman for the forum said: “We will continue to foster cooperation and positive relationships between Muslim charities and other faith and community groups. We have responded to the DCLG to reassure them of our processes, the vital importance of the work we do, and of the Faith Minorities in Action project.”
