NSS refers charity in extremism case to regulator over misogyny

Posted: Thu, 28th Nov 2024

Islamic charity gave teaching role to extremist and hosted sermon saying men should force wives to "cover up"

NSS refers charity in extremism case to regulator over misogyny

The National Secular Society has reported a charity involved in an extremism court case to the regulator, after a misogynistic sermon at the charity came to light.

The NSS referred Tawheed Islamic Education Centre of Maidenhead (TIEC) to the Charity Commission over a sermon which said "the place of a woman is in a home" and that a man should 'force' his wife to wear a hijab.

A recent court case has revealed TIEC gave a teaching role to Dzhamilya Timaeva, who has been charged with disseminating terrorist publications possessing a document for terrorist purposes.

The court heard Timaeva had made lesson plans for TIEC, starting in September 2022, which made reference to a book called "Little Muwahideen".

The book has a "colourful, cartoon" style aimed at children and has sections about waging war for Islam and "hatred for the sake of Allah". The prosecutor said the book is about "indoctrinating young minds".

He added Timaeva "saw it as her duty to teach these extremist beliefs to young children".

Timaeva is alleged to have sent an electronic version of Little Muwahideen to TIEC.

This week, Timaeva told the Old Bailey her support of jihad only applied to Chechnyan men fighting Russia.

Sermon: Men should "command" daughters to wear hijab before age 15

Following reports of the court case in the media, the NSS was made aware of a video of a sermon which was allegedly published on TIEC's website in November 2022.

The sermon, entitled "What does it mean to be a MAN or a WOMAN", was given by Ustadh Yahya Al-Raaby (pictured), the principle and head of TIEC's Tawheed Institute. The institute offers "weekend structured Islamic Science studies" and caters to "all ages from children 6 years plus to adult learners", according to TIEC's website.

In the sermon, Al-Raaby said a man is "the one who tells his family, his women, to cover up, and he teaches them that from a young age".

He said a man "commands" his daughters to wear hijab even before they are 15 years old.

If a woman "refuses to cover", her husband must "admonish her" and "shouldn't share a bed with her until she obeys him in covering up". If she still refuses, the man should take a "harsher, stern approach", including taking away her "luxuries" to "make things perhaps a bit more difficult for her to cover up, to be a bit more forceful".

Al-Raaby said "the place of a woman is in a home" and "if there's no need for her to go out, she shouldn't be going out". He said a woman "shouldn't be going out without permission from her husband or her father or whoever is responsible for her".

He added: "If she is not obeying him, and this is what they also don't like to hear, that you have to obey the one that is responsible for you, whether it's your father, which is, of course, given, and also your husband".

The sermon said it is "not desirable" for a woman to work, and that it is "wrong" for a woman to work while her husband raises the children because men have "qawamah" (authority) over women. He said a husband who takes the role of raising the children at home "is not a man, he's a woman".

Al-Raaby said he is not "anti a woman working" but "anti" a woman who "goes out of her home without any need", "mixes with men freely" and "spends more time outside her home than in her home".

He said that when these matters are not taken seriously, "a society becomes corrupt".

He added: "Look at how they've infiltrated the minds of the women, and they made them to think that way because they want them to abandon their responsibility so that our children are left for them.

"That has to change. We have to raise our daughters to not think like that".

Al-Raaby also said that Allah "has cursed" men and women who imitate the opposite sex, such as "men who dress like women", according to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

This video and others were removed from TIEC's website after the Timaeva court case was reported in the media.

TIEC is the latest of several religious charities the NSS has reported to the Charity Commission for misogyny in recent months. This includes Green Lane Masjid and Tabor Baptist Church in October, and An-Noor Masjid and Muhammadi Masjid Bradford in September.

NSS: "Charities must not be used as a vehicle for misogyny and extremism"

NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said: "It is shocking to hear these views in 21st century Britain. It is even more shocking to hear them come from a registered charity.

"Charities are meant to provide a public benefit - that's why they get tax breaks. But the idea that women shouldn't leave their homes and must obey their husbands is misogynistic and contributes to coercive, controlling and abusive relationships.

"The advancement of religion is a recognised charitable purpose. If this enables charities to advance harmful religious beliefs, it must be reviewed. Charities must not be used as a vehicle for misogyny and extremism."

Social: We've referred an Islamic charity involved in an extremism court case to the regulator, after a misogynistic sermon came to light. Charities must not be used as a vehicle for misogyny and extremism.

Tags: Charity, Extremism, Women