GB News pays 'substantial' damages to Islamic Relief after airing UAE influencer's false claims

Islamic Relief has received "substantial damages" from GB News after the UK broadcaster aired false claims that the UK-based charity had funded terror groups.

The payout relates to GB News' hosting of Emirati influencer Amjad Taha on 16 February, when the social media personality used his appearance on The Camilla Tominey show to make the claims about the faith charity.

Taha claimed that Islamic Relief, which provides humanitarian relief to people of all faiths and backgrounds, "is sending money all the way to some terrorist groups in the Middle East", and is funding extremism.

Clips from the interview were shared widely on social media.

In September, GB News issued a statement admitting that the "allegation that Islamic Relief has funded terrorist groups is untrue". The broadcaster also removed the interview from its platforms.

"Islamic Relief has stated it does not promote or support extremism of any kind and that it is a purely humanitarian organisation. We apologise to Islamic Relief and are happy to correct the record," read the statement posted on its website.

A spokesperson for the charity said: "We are very pleased that it has been possible to draw a line under this complaint. GB News gave a platform to serious allegations which are not only totally untrue but run contrary to the core principles on which we operate.

"Given that our own humanitarian workers have themselves been killed by terrorists, these allegations are particularly offensive and deeply troubling. They perpetuate disinformation that not only threatens the lives of our colleagues, but also our beneficiaries."

Taha, a self-described author, analyst, and researcher, is one of several prominent Emirati social media influencers who have gained some traction among Western right-wing audiences, often for amplifying his country's foreign policy positions. This includes support for Israel and anti-Islamist, anti-Muslim Brotherhood talking points.

Taha has described Israel as "one of the great civilised nations" and accused Sudan's military, which is locked in a war with the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces, of being linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.

In 2014, the UAE controversially included several Western charities with links to extremism, including Islamic Relief and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).