The Government has been accused of shutting down the main forum for Muslim-Jewish dialogue in the UK at an “extraordinarily stupid” time.
The Inter Faith Network, founded in 1987 with the aim of helping to promote good relations between people of different faiths across the UK, said it would confirm on Thursday whether the charity will close.
The Government had previously said that, because a member of the Muslim Council of Britain was appointed to the charity’s “core governance structure” last year, it had decided to withdraw the offer of new funding for the organisation.
Answering an urgent question on the situation, Government minister Felicity Buchan told Parliament: “As this house will be aware, successive governments have had a longstanding policy of non-engagement with the MCB.
“The appointment of an MCB member to the core governance structure of a Government-funded organisation therefore poses a reputational risk to Government.”
She said Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove had “carefully considered” points raised by the IFN after the appointment but had concluded these were “outweighed by the need to maintain the Government’s policy of non-engagement with the MCB and the risk of compromising the credibility and effectiveness of that policy”.
Is it not, given the debate in this chamber yesterday, extraordinarily stupid to be shutting down at this precise point our principle vehicle in the UK for Muslim-Jewish dialogue?
But Labour MP Sir Stephen Timms criticised the decision and the timing, especially in light of the chaotic scenes in the Commons just a day earlier over a vote on Gaza.
Sir Stephen said: “Is it not, given the debate in this chamber yesterday, extraordinarily stupid to be shutting down at this precise point our principal vehicle in the UK for Muslim-Jewish dialogue?
“Surely we need more, not to be shutting that down?”
He said the charity had made a “very important contribution” to the UK for almost four decades.
A spokesman for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “Interfaith work is hugely important but that does not require us to use taxpayer money in a way that legitimises the influence of organisations such as the MCB.
“The Inter Faith Network cannot rely on continuous taxpayer funding.
“We regularly remind our partners, including the IFN, of the importance of developing sustainable funding arrangements, rather than relying on taxpayers’ money, which can never be guaranteed.”
A Charity Commission spokesman said: “We can confirm that, in line with our guidance, the Inter Faith Network has filed a serious incident report relating to the likelihood that it will need to close due to funding issues.”
The charity’s board will meet on Thursday, when it will take a decision on whether the organisation will close.