Islamic extremism is being promoted with ‘impunity’ by religious charities that should be reined in by watchdog, campaigners warn

The government has been urged to allow the charity watchdog powers to rein in extremism after concerns were raised that some charities are ‘promoting Islamic extremism with impunity’.

The Charity Commission is reportedly in talks with government officials surrounding how to curtail the activities of extremist individuals and organisations under its remit.

It comes as the watchdog has been warned it is ‘toothless and ineffective’ at dealing with issues of extremism .

The Telegraph reported that senior officials at the Charity Commission and The Home Office have been sent a briefing note claiming out of date charity laws are enabling religious charities to ‘promote extremist ideologies with impunity’.

The National Secular Society (NSS) created the document and gave examples where charities have promoted or condoned extremism, but accused the charity regulator of refusing to take action.

The regulator has been accused of a lack of vetting charities before registering them, as many of the cases reportedly involve charities that are newly registered.

In one case, a mosque which is registered as a charity hosted a sermon which suggested that blasphemers against Islam should be killed.

In another case, a lecturer at a mosque said a husband should be able to hit or shake his wife if she refuses to have sex with him.

Some messages shared include supporting the killing of blasphemers to Islam

Multiple charities also hosted an extremist Islamic scholar from Pakistan earlier this year, who allegedly said sexual slavery is acceptable and approved the killing of blasphemers.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is due to announce plans for tackling extremism after undertaking an internal review of current policies.

In August she claimed past governments have failed to address the rise in extremism.

In November, The Charity Commission hosted a presentation about countering extremism at a conference hosted by the Home Office. 

Fiyaz Mughal, interfaith campaigner and founder of the group Tell MAMA, which monitors anti-Muslim hatred, said the charity watchdog was ‘toothless and ineffective’ in dealing with  extremism.

He argued the watchdog should either be shut down altogether or given ‘significant’ new powers to tackle extremism.

He claimed some extremist groups have led to offshoots which have been validated with charitable status.

David Holdsworth, chief executive of the Charity Commission, said regulation in the charity sector is essential to public trust.

Charity Commission chief executive David Holdsworth said regulation in the sector is essential

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to announce plans for tackling extremism soon

He told The Telegraph: ‘The powers parliament has granted the commission through a succession of charity Acts have strengthened our ability to address and prevent abuse and mismanagement in charities. We are robust in using these powers whenever required.

‘Like all regulators, we keep in close contact with government to ensure our powers and our resources are sufficient to respond to the evolving risks and issues facing the sector we regulate.”

In August the Home Office commissioned a ‘rapid analytical sprint’ to develop a new approach to extremism

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘The counter-extremism sprint sought to comprehensively assess the challenge facing our country and lay the foundations for a new approach to tackling extremism – so we can stop people being drawn towards hateful ideologies.’

The Home Office revealed that further plans to tackle extremism will be set out in due course.