The National Secular Society has referred Hackney Islamic Community Centre, also known as Masjid Daar Al-Hadeeth, to the Charity Commission for England and Wales over three lectures posted online in 2023. The campaign group says the material raises questions about whether the charity is meeting its legal duties and operating for public benefit.
The commission confirmed it had opened a regulatory compliance case to assess concerns about alleged sermons and social-media content linked to the centre. It said all charities, whatever their purpose, must operate for public benefit and provide a safe and trusted environment, and that its assessment would determine any further regulatory next steps.
The centre is a registered charity whose stated purposes include advancing the Islamic faith, maintaining a mosque and community centre, and supporting education for Muslim children and adults. Charity Commission records show that the organisation reported income of £191,097 and expenditure of £171,539 for the year ending March 31, 2025.
One of the videos features Islamic teacher Yasin Munye discussing what he describes as “major sins”. He includes a wife disobeying her husband, leaving home without permission and refusing sexual intimacy without an excuse.
Munye tells listeners that a husband should first advise his wife and then avoid intimacy with her. He goes on to say a husband can “discipline them physically as well” through “lightly hitting them to show them who is in charge”. The statements have been cited by the National Secular Society in its complaint to the regulator.
The same lecture addresses sexual conduct between men. Munye calls gay sex “one of the most evil acts” and a “crime”, and says both participants are executed under his interpretation of Sharia law. He then describes differing historical views among scholars about methods of execution.
Those statements describe religious punishments rather than the law of England and Wales. Same-sex sexual activity is lawful in Britain, while assaulting a spouse is subject to criminal law. Domestic abuse legislation also recognises controlling or coercive behaviour and other forms of abuse between intimate partners.
Another video highlighted by the National Secular Society concerns “sihr”, or witchcraft. Munye says witchcraft is real and praises Saudi Arabia for executing people accused of the practice. The campaign group argues that material of this kind could contribute to discrimination or abuse and is incompatible with the public-benefit obligations attached to charitable status.
A separate lecture cited in the complaint features scholar Abu Sa’ad Muhammad Al-Iraqi discussing domestic relationships. He describes it as an “unfortunate reality” that women in Britain may contact police after being struck by their husbands, according to the recorded material.
Megan Manson, head of campaigns at the National Secular Society, said it was “alarming” that a charity could host lectures promoting violence against women, denying women the ability to refuse sex and condoning capital punishment for gay men and people accused of witchcraft.
She called for a review of advancement of religion as a charitable purpose, arguing that charities should not receive public advantages while disseminating ideas that could fuel discrimination, division or abuse.
The centre has undergone a change in legal structure. Companies House records identify Hackney Islamic Community Centre as a charitable incorporated organisation, with charity number 1217558. The Charity Commission register also retains records for the earlier organisation, charity number 1117069, which was registered in November 2006.
The earlier charity’s official register entry says its work includes religious instruction, community engagement and supplementary education. It lists five trustees and 12 volunteers, and says its reporting was up to date. The register also records previous names including Masjid Imam an-Nawawi, the name used by the organisation when the disputed videos were published.
