Many religious charities do fantastic work.
But many others fail to provide a public benefit and some cause harm.
It's time to end religious privilege in charity law.
Charity work carried out by people of all faiths and none should be recognised and celebrated. Much of the work of religious charities, such as helping the poor, is secular in nature and beneficial to society.
But there are religious organisations which exploit the privileged status of religion in charity law to conduct activities that do not fulfil a genuine public benefit, and only serve to further religious ideology.
In the worst cases, religious charities may harm society and individuals.
Registered charities must serve a purpose recognised as "charitable". Charity laws specify a list of "charitable purposes," one of which is "the advancement of religion".
Charities must also demonstrate that they provide a genuine public benefit. But guidelines are vague on what constitutes a public benefit, particular in relation to religious activities. There is still an assumption in the charity system that religion is inherently beneficial. This view is not supported by evidence and implies those without a religion are somehow less moral or charitable.
The inclusion of the advancement of religion within charitable purposes gives religion a privileged position in the charity sector. It enables religious organisations to acquire all the benefits of charitable status, including tax relief, gift aid and public respectability, simply by "advancing religion".
It also includes religious organisations that cause harm to society. This includes charities which facilitate religious genital cutting, support the non-stun slaughter industry, and promote extremism, hatred and intolerance of other people.
The NSS believes all charities, religious or not, should be held to equally high standards. That's why we campaign for "the advancement of religion" to be removed from the list of charitable purposes, and for religious charities to be held to the same equality laws as all other charities.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Tell your MP it's time for "the advancement of religion" to be removed as a charitable purpose. Enter your postcode below to find your MP and send a letter to them.
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join us
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Islamic charities push death for ‘apostates’ and female subjugation
Posted: Wed, 12 Jun 2019 08:34
Four Islamic charities are promoting material suggesting 'apostates' should be killed, women should be subordinate to men including by accepting marital rape and homosexuality is not innate.
The National Secular Society has reported the charities to the charities regulator, the Charity Commission, after NSS research found they link to or explicitly carry extremist material on their websites.
The commission has said it will open "assessment cases" into the charities in response to the NSS's concerns.
The website of Islamic Centre Leicester, a charity which exists to "promote the spiritual teachings of the Islamic religion", says the punishment for 'apostasy' is death.
In response to a question about whether there is a punishment for "Muslims who leave the fold of Islam", the charity says: "All the schools of thought agree that a person's apostasy must be proven by the testimony of two male witnesses. Furthermore, all agree that the apostate's punishment is death."
It outlines details of a process which follows, in which the individual is imprisoned for three days, before adding: "If the apostate still refuses to revert, then he is killed."
It adds that women cannot be political leaders and tells a man experiencing same-sex attraction that his feelings are not innate.
It also promotes links to "pre-checked" websites which promote the killing of those who leave Islam and hateful views of Ahmadi Muslims and Jews.
The website of Thamesdown Islamic Association, which runs Swindon Mosque in Wiltshire, has a downloadable book which promotes marital rape, wife beating and female subjugation.
Croydon Mosque and Islamic Centre's website includes a downloadable pamphlet which promotes female subordination, including through the wearing of the burka.
The Slough Islamic Trust links to websites which promote anti-LGBT statements.
Islamic Centre Leicester and Thamesdown Islamic Association have charitable status solely on the basis that they promote the Islamic religion.
National Secular Society spokesperson Megan Manson said: "Charities benefit from tax breaks and recognition that they serve the public benefit. The charitable status of any organisation which promotes material calling for the death of innocent people or pushes misogynistic and anti-LGBT attitudes should therefore clearly be questioned.
"Our research continues to find religious charities which not only do not serve a public benefit but do active harm. This means public money is funding damaging practices and attitudes. It is also over-burdening charity regulators and damaging public confidence in the charitable sector.
"The government could take a significant step towards tackling these problems by removing 'the advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose, so there is no assumption that organisations which promote religion are serving a public benefit."
Earlier this year the NSS published a major report, For The Public Benefit?, which makes the case for removing 'the advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose. 'The advancement of religion' is one of 13 purposes which can justify an organisation being granted charitable status under the Charities Act of 2011.
In April the NSS raised concerns with the Charity Commission about three more Islamic charities which linked to extremist content. The commission said it would investigate the charities in response.
Charity dissolved over imam who encouraged support for Islamic State
Posted: Wed, 8 May 2019 15:05
A charity set up for "the advancement of the Muslim religion" that ran a mosque in Stoke-on-Trent and used an imam who encouraged support for Islamic State has been dissolved.
The trustees of Fazal Ellahi Charitable Trust "failed to properly manage, administer and protect the charity" leading to it being used to "facilitate terrorism offences", according to the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
The Charity Commission announced the charity's dissolution, which took place in February, last Friday.
Fazal Ellahi Charitable Trust was set up in 2003 to support "the education of all people particularly children and young people in the Muslim religion" and "the advancement of the Muslim religion through the provision of collective prayer meetings". It ran Tunstall Mosque in Stoke.
The Charity Commission removed Fazal Ellahi Charitable Trust from its register of charities in 2009 as it considered that the charity had either ceased to exist or no longer operated. Correspondence sent by the Charity Commission to the registered trustees received no response.
But despite its removal from the register, the charity continued to run the mosque.
In February 2017 Tunstall Mosque's imam Kamran Hussain was arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences in relation to sermons he gave at the mosque in 2016. In September 2017 he was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment for six counts of encouragement of terrorism and two counts of encouraging support for a proscribed organisation, Islamic State.
Hussain's sermons were attended by about 40 worshippers, often including children as young as 10. According to prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse QC, Hussain told a congregation of nine children and 35 adults that 'martyrdom' was "greater than any other success, such as school or college".
In another sermon, Hussain referred to Islamic State as "a small fledgling state who is standing in the face of a pompous and arrogant army". He called on the congregation of 10 men to pray for their victory and for their oppressors to be "annihilated".
The Charity Commission opened an inquiry into Fazal Ellahi Charitable Trust in April 2018, following the charity's failure to provide requested documents from the trustees, Fazal Ellahi and his son Isbar Ellahi.
The requested documents included "copies of safeguarding procedures and policies" and confirmation that Disclosing and Barring Scheme checks had been carried out on Hussain and Fazal Ellahi, both of whom provided classes for children via the charity. The trustees also denied the commission entry to the charity premises.
The Charity Commission concluded that the charity was "mismanaged" by its trustees, who had failed to protect the charity from "being used to facilitate terrorism offences".
Over £132,000 of Fazal Ellahi's assets were donated to five registered charities "with similar charitable objects" in the Stoke-on-Trent area. The commission noted it was "likely" that the charity's income was greater than that deposited into its bank account, because Hussain received a salary that was not recorded in any accounts.
Both trustees of the charity are now disqualified from acting as trustee or holding senior management function of any charity in England and Wales.
The National Secular Society campaigns for the removal of 'the advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose. Earlier this year the NSS published a major report making the case for this reform of charity law to prevent religious charities from causing harm while claiming tax benefits.
In response to the dissolution of Fazal Ellahi, NSS campaigns officer Megan Manson said: "While many religious charities are a force for good, too often religion is used as a smoke screen for promoting extremism.
"Including 'the advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose in charity law makes it much easier for charities to be exploited by those who want to promote extremism and terrorism in the name of religion.
"Until charity law is reformed so religion is no longer privileged, we will unfortunately continue to see cases of religious charities being used to promote extremist, hateful and intolerant views."
Image: Charity Commission logo, via Twitter.
