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A disturbance took place at a mosque in Hounslow, West London, with security footage capturing the chaos. The UK’s Charity Commission is now investigating allegations of misappropriation exceeding one million pounds and potential corruption at the Hounslow Jamia Masjid & Islamic Centre, one of the country’s largest mosques.
A widely circulated video shows congregants and the mosque’s management—majority of whom are Pakistanis—engaged in a physical altercation inside the mosque amid claims of harassment, verbal abuse, intimidation, pushing, punching, and violence.
The incident gained media attention after reports surfaced that former friends and trustees of the mosque confronted each other and traded accusations. Authorities responded, with police and an ambulance dispatched to the scene, reported the Sun.
One trustee, Abdul Majid, resigned after two decades of service, including ten years as the chairman. A local councillor also reported five alleged attacks targeting his home and vehicle and called on local authorities and Labour Party leaders for intervention.
In his resignation letter, Majid revealed that during his tenure, the mosque’s bank account consistently held between £400,000 and £500,000. However, he expressed concern over the current financial situation, citing a significant drop in the mosque’s funds and noting that approximately £300,000 in annual donations—collected notably during the Gaza crisis—are unaccounted for in official records.
Majid also highlighted a legal dispute involving BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, which filed a claim for £150,000 against the mosque’s trustees over a 12-year lease for photocopiers. An out-of-court settlement meant the mosque is now paying £5,000 monthly until August 2027, a decision made without full board approval.
Furthermore, new security contracts favored close associates of senior mosque leadership, and relatives received lucrative deals for supplying groceries and meat, with contracts awarded without transparent bidding processes, according to the Charity Commission.
Concerns have also arisen about the appointment of unqualified individuals to key financial roles and problematic familial relationships within the mosque’s management.
The local councillor has appealed to Dan Bowring, chair of the Brentford and Isleworth Labour Party, urging an official investigation into misconduct by certain party members who are allegedly misusing their positions and influence to foster hostility and threaten elected officials.
The mosque serves community members, with up to 4,000 Muslims visiting daily. Some worshippers, who were expelled following the fight footage leak, have been barred for allegedly causing unrest and breaching peace, including the councillor himself. Those expelled have been warned that re-entering the premises would be considered trespassing, maintaining heightened tensions.
The Charity Commission stated that it has initiated a regulatory compliance review of the mosque to evaluate its governance and operational standards.
A mosque insider dismissed the claims, attributing the disputes to personal conflicts among former friends, and denied any financial misconduct, asserting that the allegations are baseless and frivolous. The mosque intends to clarify its position soon and will present factual evidence to the public and worshippers.
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