A Nottingham imam made statements that are 'sympathetic to the Taliban' and alleged that the government 'does not want Muslims to be Muslims', a new report has revealed. Dr Musharraf Hussain, the chief executive of Karimia Institute in Bobbers Mill, has been named in a review which looked at the threat of terrorism in the UK.
Organisations and individuals blamed for promoting alleged extremist narratives while taking money from Prevent have been named in William Shawcross' independent review, which was published on Wednesday, February 8. A statement made by Dr Hussain, which the reports says was 'sympathetic to the Taliban', has been described as "one of the most egregious cases".
The Nottingham Muslim leader founded the Karimia Institute with the help of local community in 1990. His charity delivered Prevent-funded projects only between 2008 and 2010, according to its website.
READ MORE: Nottingham Imam denies he spread extremism while funded by Prevent
The review also said that Dr Hussain referred to militant Islamist groups – whose military wings were proscribed in the UK –as “so-called ‘terrorists’ of the legitimate resistance groups”. The Nottingham scholar is also mentioned in the review for speaking of the circumstances under which "Muslim members of Britain’s armed forces should refuse orders".
The report also mentions an instance in which Dr Hussain has made allegations against Prevent during an appearance on a British Muslim television channel earlier in 2021. In the review, he is blamed for claiming that "Prevent is ‘targeting’ the Muslim community in a manner that is 'uncharacteristic of a democracy' and has 'bad intentions'".
The report also made reference to his allegations against Ofsted for the way he claimed it treated Muslim children and teachers, describing it as "totally unacceptable" and 'undemocratic'. He also alleged that “only four or five imams who are allowed to go onto national media”, and claimed that the government “does not want Muslims to be Muslims... it is actually taking our religious freedom”.
The review said that "the Home Office had previously conducted extremism related due diligence on this individual and, in November 2020, concluded that they considered that the head of this CSO posed a ‘significant’ risk rating". It continued: "I am alarmed by some of the material discovered within these assessments, particularly as significant issues raised include those dating back several years. In my view, this ought to have had immediate consequences for the funding of this CSO by Prevent."
The charity is also named in the review for holding a podcast discussion with an individual who had an alleged record of promoting antisemitic narratives, however the discussion itself did not appear to be of extremism concern. Nottinghamshire Live has approached the podcast guest, activist Lauren Booth, for comment.
The chief executive of the Al-Hurraya, a charity which has benefited from Prevent funding, was also named in the report for praising the work of the Nottingham Islam Information Point (NIIP). Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, charity leader Asad Fazil said that he only attended NIIP as part of his mosque visit as an engagement officer for Nottingham City Council.
NIIP, which has never been funded by Prevent, was criticised for holding a fundraising event for Interpal, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group in the US and a registered charity in the UK. The Nottingham group has also been blamed for hosting guest speakers who have allegedly spread negative narratives about homosexuals, Christians and Jews, having allegedly named the last two groups "enemies of the Islam".
In response to the report, NIIP chief executive Harun Holmes reinforced that Interpal is a registered charity in the UK. He also said that he was not aware of the speakers' views, and that the statements "must have been made a long time ago".
Prevent is one of the 4 pillars of CONTEST, the government’s counter terrorism strategy. To address the "disparate terrorist threat", Prevent will move from a local model of delivery to a regional one, driving up Prevent delivery standards nationwide through increased join up between the police and regional partners.
In a response to the review, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said that Prevent needs "to refocus on its core mission of stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism" over wider issues like mental health. Ms Braverman said: "I am grateful to William Shawcross and welcome his Independent Review. Prevent will now ensure it focuses on the key threat of Islamist terrorism.
"As part of this more proportionate approach, we will also remain vigilant on emerging threats, including on the Extreme Right. This Independent Review has identified areas where real reform is required.
"This includes a need for Prevent to better understand Islamist ideology, which underpins the predominant terrorist threat facing the UK. I wholeheartedly accept all 34 recommendations and am committed to quickly delivering wholesale change to ensure we are taking every possible step to protect our country from the threat posed by terrorism.”
Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat, said: "This government will always protect the British people – whether from the threat posed by terrorism, or from the hateful ideologies that underpin it.
“This review strengthens and bolsters the Prevent programme. I am determined to deliver the improvements needed to accelerate our fight against radicalisation. Ultimately, every community in our country deserves protection from threat of radicalisation and the violence that it brings.”
Dr Musharraf Hussain and Karimia Institute have both been approached for comment. In an interview with Nottinghamshire Live ahead of the publication of the review, Dr Hussain has denied spreading extremism while funded by Prevent.
A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: “As part of our community cohesion work, we engage with a broad range of local stakeholders and faith organisations on a regular basis. We have only just seen the report ourselves, but in light of some of its findings we will carry out a review of our community connections to satisfy ourselves that due diligence has been followed, before making any further comment.”
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