NSS refers misogynistic Islamic psychotherapy charity to regulator

Posted: Mon, 3rd Feb 2025

Co-founder of Muslim Family Foundation claims "a woman must serve her husband by cooking and cleaning".

via Instagram

The National Secular Society has referred a new 'Islamic psychotherapy' charity to the Charity Commission for promoting misogyny and the subordination of women.

In one video, co-founder of the Muslim Family Foundation (MFF) Shaykh Muaaz Vahora claims "a woman must serve her husband by cooking and cleaning".

MFF, based in Newham, east London, registered under the charitable purpose 'the advancement of religion' in November last year. Charities are required by law to operate for the public benefit.

MFF offers "Islamic Counselling, Psychotherapy and Coaching" with a "Muslim Therapist". Psychotherapy is unregulated in the UK, meaning "anyone can call themselves a psychotherapist". Issues the charity claims to help with include "women's issues", "marriage", "family issues" and "identity issues".

In August, the Government announced plans to treat misogyny as a form of extremism.

'Always ask for his permission when you want to go out'

In a video titled 'A Woman Must Look After Her House', Vahora says "unfortunately" there are many videos on social media claiming that wives "do not have to serve their husbands".

"The reality", he says, citing the author Imam An Nahlawi, is that "a woman must serve her husband by cooking and cleaning, by looking after the house. That it is religiously obligatory for her to do so, and that if she does not do so, she will be sinful". Nahlwai was a Damascene jurist born in 1931 who wrote about gender relations in Islam.

Another video tells women they can respect their husbands by "always asking for his permission when you want to go out" and by "lowering your gaze when you're surrounded by non-mahram men [non-family members]".

A video titled 'Ways To Respect Your Husband In Islam' says the husband "must have the final say" in big family decisions. The husband's "opinions should come before everyone else's", and a wife should "ask if you want to do voluntary fasts."

Some believe sex is not permitted during fasts in Islam. By this logic - which chimes with a sermon at a different Islamic charity, Muhammadi Masjid Bradford - to fast without one's husbands permission is to deny him sex without his permission.

In another video, titled 'Be Chaste', Vahora says "the chastity of a woman begins by avoiding attention". The video depicts women wearing the hijab and the niqab.

Another video, titled 'Don't let your friends destroy your marriage', tells wives to note that their friends may warn them their husbands are being "controlling" when, in fact, the husbands are "simply caring".

A quiz asks which four qualities a woman is married for, according to a Hadith (a saying of the Islamic prophet Muhammad). The correct answer is "Wealth, beauty, lineage, and religion". Answers that include education, kindness, generosity, intelligence and humility are not correct.

Another video says women who 'cover themselves in makeup' or are 'someone undressed' get "the sin of everyone who looks at her". Instead, women should "dress modestly".

NSS: 'Charity makes a mockery of Government's counter-extremism efforts'

National Secular Society spokesperson Alejandro Sanchez said: "The fact that this charity promotes dark ages misogyny is bad enough. That it presents itself as a counselling and psychotherapy service is even more troubling.

"Any woman seeking advice from the Muslim Family Foundation would be left with the impression that it is her religious obligation to subordinate herself to her husband. The public purse should not be subsidising this regressive ideology through the tax breaks granted by charitable status.

"The MFF is just the latest example of a charity registered under 'the advancement of religion' advocating the subjugation of women. The idea that this charity is acting in the public benefit is farcical, and makes a mockery of the Government's counter-extremism efforts.

"'The advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose is allowing misogyny to be spread with impunity. It must be urgently reviewed."

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Tags: Charity, Women