DCLG terminates funding to two Muslim charities

Categories: Latest News
Friday December 19 2014
BBC News picks up on the written statement yesterday by the Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, providing an update on the Government’s integration strategy and disclosing that the department has terminated the project funding of two Muslim organisations.
According to the statement published in yesterday’s Hansard record, the Communities Secretary stated:
“[A]s an action which stemmed from the Extremism Task Force, my department initiated the Faith Minorities in Action Project – designed to encourage integration by promoting inter-faith work, the role of women in faith, tackling youth crime, and also to provide child protection training. The Muslim Charities Forum was awarded this contract.
“However, following a formal review of the project, which included examination of allegations made in the press, and of the organisation’s continued poor performance in delivering against agreed objectives, I have taken the decision to terminate its funding. The Muslim Charities Forum has failed to reassure us that they have robust measures in place to investigate and challenge their members. Concerns have also been raised about events held by member organisations, at which individuals with extremist views have been invited to speak. This has undermined their work and means they are no longer able to deliver on the Faith Minorities in Action objectives.
“Similarly, my department has asked Faith Action, who deliver English language training to facilitate social integration, to cease their funding of Islamic Help as part of their project. This decision stems from Islamic Help’s recent invitation to an individual with extremist views to speak at one of their events.”
According to the news report, both organisations have been taken aback by the Cabinet Minister’s statements saying that they have neither been made aware of departmental concerns nor of the decision to terminate funding.
A spokesman for Islamic Help told the BBC that “the speaker alleged to have extremist views had not been identified to them.”
The BBC further adds that “The DCLG has so far refused to name him or her publicly.”
It is surprising to say the least that DCLG has revoked funding and made accusations against the Muslim charity without offering any information in order to verify whether the claims made are indeed justified.
The Muslim Charities Forum has, similarly, reacted with surprise stating “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.”
BBC News adds that “The MCF said it was unaware of any perceived failings, and that it had not been contacted by the DCLG about the decision to stop the cash.”
The lack of transparency over the Government’s management of the Prevent programme has been an ongoing issue with decisions and funding allocations largely shrouded in secrecy denying opportunities to assess the performance and targets of publicly funded organisations working in a highly sensitive and politicised area.
The Minister’s statement makes an interesting reference to one of the sources of information used in the decision to terminate funding, “examination of allegations made in the press”.
This is an unusual method given articles that have been published about Muslim charities which have lacked a factual basis. It is also highly irregular given the concerns that have been raised by Muslim charities about press coverage on the back of the Charity Commission’s decision to disclose the names of charities undergoing statutory investigation before any wrongdoing has been established.
The damage to a charity’s reputation and integrity is real and, it would seem, far-reaching.
The DCLG decision is one in a long line of recent assaults on the Muslim charitable sector at a time when faith based charity organisations are increasing in number. The fact that decisions to revoke funding can take place without full notification as to the reasons why is a disturbing trend indeed.