UK charity says ‘pro-Hamas’ video posted was down to human error

A UK-based charity has received a formal warning from the Charity Commission after a video they posted on their social media accounts was interpreted as being pro-Hamas.

The Cardiff-based al-Manar Centre posted the video in November 2023, which has since prompted the Charity Commission to launch an investigation, which found that there was "misconduct and/or mismanagement" by the charity’s trustees.

The inquiry said the video was likely to lead "an ordinary member of the public to infer that the charity was supportive of and or glorified terrorism".

The Commission issued a formal order requiring the charity to take corrective measures regarding their use of social media platforms, particularly as the video could be "interpreted as showing support for a proscribed entity," referring to Hamas, which the British government has designated as a terrorist organisation.

According to reports, the Al-Manar Centre Trust said the incident was down to "genuine human error".

Speaking to The New Arab, the al Manar Centre said it "acknowledges the Charity Commission’s report regarding a social media incident from November 2023".

"The trustees have cooperated fully with the inquiry and remain committed to good governance and serving the community," the statement continued.

The al-Manar Centre Trust also said, "at no point was there any intention by the charity or its trustees to promote or glorify any proscribed organisation".

Content of the video

According to the Charity Commission, the video, which was in Arabic, showed footage from the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, which has also been considered a proscribed organisation along with Hamas since 2001.

The narrator of the video describes how two female Israeli captives are released from Hamas captivity, notes they are in good health, and how one of them goes to say bye to the person handling her. It states that the "Muslim fighters show us the image that the world has distorted, which is how the ethics of war and imprisonment in Islam compares to anything of the violators and war criminals".

The narrator also spoke about Islamic history, including the Battle of Hattin in 1187 in northern Palestine, as well as verses from the Quran.

The Charity Commission said in response to the questions raised by them, trustees of the charity explained that the video’s intent was to highlight topics of Islamic history and Islamic principles, such as implementing moral conduct even in times of warfare. Trustees also said the video explained the history of the Children of Israel, as referenced in the Quran, as well as the Crusades.

Trustees went on to explain how Israel’s war on Gaza deeply affected the community in Cardiff, and the video was intended as a source of solace by sharing Islamic teachings, however, they also emphasised they condemn any exploitation of events that foster hatred or division.

‘Promoting Islamic education’

The charity runs a mosque in Cardiff, where it "promotes Islamic education, supports community relations and religious harmony".

The charity further states it aims to "engage with other communities in Cardiff with view to increased community cohesion and mutual understanding".

A statement from the charity in March said they were cooperating with the Charity Commission in a recently initiated statutory inquiry.

"As a charity committed to upholding the highest standards of governance and integrity, we welcome this inquiry as an opportunity to demonstrate our adherence to regulatory requirements and best practices," the statement read.

The video was posted in the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza, which came after a Hamas-led attack where over 200 Israelis were taken captive to the enclave.

Since then, Israel has led a brutal military offensive on the Strip, killing over 61,700 Palestinians since October 2023 and levelling entire neighbourhoods.

The war on Gaza has been determined to be a genocide by Amnesty International. Rights groups have also documented war crimes and raised the alarm over the targeting of civilians seeking vital emergency aid.