iERA

IERA (Islamic Education and Research Academy) is an Islamic missionary group[3] founded in the United Kingdom by Anthony ("Abdur Raheem") Green[4] in 2009 for proselytizing Islam.

Not to be confused with the Islamic Research and Educational Academy: Australia

Islamic Education and Research Academy (stylised as iERA)
Founded2008
Registration no.1134566 (charity)
06941044 (company)
Focuseducation, research, Dawah
Location
Revenue
£795,691 (2011)
£882,810 (2012)
£817,582 (2013)
£711,179 (2014)
£657,892 (2015)
£696,299 (2016)
£979,154 (2017)[1]
Employees
6[2]
Volunteers
35[2]
WebsiteOfficial website

Management

iERA is registered as a charity in the UK.[2] In addition, the charity was incorporated as a company on 23 June 2009. The charity is a company limited by guarantee. It has no share capital.[5][6] (There was also a private limited company called "Islamic Education and Research Academy Ltd" ran by the same people who run iERA, which was registered as a company on 23 December 2008 as company number 06778858, and dissolved on 24 September 2013.)[7]

In the year ending 30 June 2015, the charity's income and expenditure were as follows:[2]

  • Income: £657,892, made up of:
    • Voluntary: £637.8k
    • Charitable activities: £20.0k
  • Spending: £634,946, made up of:
    • Generating voluntary income: £140.2k
    • Charitable activities: £463.7k
    • Governance £31.0k

Board of trustees

As a UK charity, iERA has registered trustees. The trustees in the period 2010 to 2016 were:

The board of trustees oversee the running of the charity. They are not paid for their work as trustees (though did receive travel and subsistence expenses). The trustees are also directors of iERA for the purpose of company law. The charity pays staff and consultants to do the work of the charity. The charity has paid for the professional services of three of the trustees, and of the sister of one of the trustees.[6]

Activities

In 2010 iERA commissioned a study, undertaken by DJS Research, on negative perceptions of Islam and found that three-quarters of non-Muslims believe Islam was negative for Britain.[14]

In September 2012 iERA wrote a lengthy critique challenging writer Tom Holland's Channel 4 documentary Islam: The Untold Story that questioned parts of the story of the origins of Islam. The Islamic Education and Research Academy said it was historically inaccurate and biased.[15][16]

iERA projects its message in two main ways. One is by acting as a proactive organization, facilitating missionary activities to promote Islam. The other is by serving as an aggregating organization which coordinates and pays its affiliate preachers.

In March 2017, iERA like other organizations, released a statement condemning the Westminster Attack saying; "iERA condemns the heinous attack in London that has resulted in the deaths of civilians and a Policeman. Our sincere condolences and prayers are with the families of the victims. In an age of hate and misunderstanding, iERA seeks to share the true message of Islam in an intelligent and compassionate way, thereby building bridges and removing enmity."[17]

Criticism and controversy

iERA has been the subject of controversy due to actions and statements made by the organisation and associated representatives. iERA claims that some of the controversy is based on statements that have been taken out of context, exaggerated or fabricated.[18] In 2012 Green was barred from speaking at the Emirates Stadium following community concern and, in 2015, "after concern from the local community, including local Jewish people", he was banned from St. James's Park.[19][20] On 30 November 2014, Andrew Gilligan reported in The Daily Telegraph that the several young men from the Hampshire city who traveled together to fight for Islamic State (ISIL) in Syria had at one time proseltysed in the streets with iERA material on behalf of Mission Dawah, a team that is part of iERA.[21] iERA responded by stating the individuals were not part of their organisation[21] and followed up with an open letter to the editor challenging the report, saying that Gilligan quoted its speakers out of context and was: "fuelling an atmosphere of hate and fear of Muslims".[22]

Seating arrangements at UCL

iERA, under its platform The Big Debates, organised a debate on 9 March 2013 in a room iERA hired at University College London (UCL) between Lawrence Krauss and Hamza Andreas Tzortzis entitled "Islam or Atheism: Which Makes More Sense?". IERA's original intentions were to segregate the audience by gender.[23] This was directly contrary to UCL policy, and UCL required the organisers to make it explicit to attendees that seating arrangements were optional, and guests were welcome to sit wherever they felt comfortable.[23] However, UCL was notified by some individuals that attempts were made to enforce segregation at the meeting.[23] Krauss was quoted on Twitter as saying that he almost "walked out of IERA debate as it ended up segregated." However, the debate went ahead as planned after seating arrangements were discarded.

Zayd Tutton of the iERA disputed Krauss' account of events. Speaking to the Huffington Post UK, he said: "There were three sections as agreed with UCL prior to the debate. This was agreed clearly with UCL representatives. Muslim women choosing to adhere to orthodox Islamic principles in sitting in their own area had their own section. As for those who wanted to sit together, male or female, they had their own section where they freely mixed and sat together from the beginning." Tutton also said the "three kids" mentioned by Krauss were in fact two men who forcibly tried to sit in the female section. He said: "When arguing it was about sitting in any area in the auditorium, they were offered an entirely free aisle in the aforementioned Muslim female section, but insisted that they wanted to sit in between the Muslim females, with a view to offending their religious beliefs".[24]

iERA has been banned from holding events at UCL, which concluded that iERA: "had attempted to enforce segregation at the debate on 9 March" 2013.[25] UCL released a statement stating: "We do not allow enforced segregation on any grounds [but] it now appears that, despite our clear instructions, attempts were made to enforce segregation at the meeting".[25] The statement went on to say that: "... their interests are contrary to UCL's ethos and that we should not allow any further events involving them to take place on UCL premises".[23][25]

A report from Universities UK states: "concerns to accommodate the wishes or beliefs of those opposed to segregation should not result in a religious group being prevented from having a debate in accordance with its belief system ... if imposing an unsegregated seating area in addition to the segregated areas contravenes the genuinely held religious beliefs of the group hosting the event, or those of the speaker, the institution should be mindful to ensure that the freedom of speech of the religious group or speaker is not curtailed unlawfully."[26][27]

Charities Commission investigation

In 2014, the Charity Commission started investigating the IERA over a number of “regulatory issues” surrounding its policies for organising events and inviting external speakers.[28] Telegraph wrote that the iERA was being investigated by the Charity Commission: "amid allegations that its leaders promote anti-Semitism and have called for homosexuals and female adulterers to be stoned to death".[4] The Charity Commission published its report in November 2016. The Charity was allowed to continue to operate even though "there has been misconduct and mismanagement in the charity’s administration".[29]

Controversial leaders and speakers

Hamza Tzortzis, a British Muslim convert of Greek heritage, was chairman of the launch event of iERA.[30] He was at one time associated with extreme positions and extremists.[30][31] Tzortzis has tried to distance himself from allegations of extremism, and now says he preaches about peace and compassion.[32] Zakir Naik was at one time an advisor to the iERA.[33] Naik is an Indian Islamic preacher,[34][35] who has been banned from entering the UK amid security concerns.[4] Bilal Philips is or was an advisor to iERA.[33] Philips is a Canadian Muslim teacher, speaker, and author who lives in Qatar.[36] He has been banned or deported from Britain.[37][38] Monitoring of the iERA website by the Charity Commission in 2014-15 identified a partnership between iERA and an organisation founded by Philips.[37] iERA vice-chairman responded by stating the organisation has mechanisms in place to manage risk and demonstrate compliance.[39] As a result of a regulatory order by the Charity Commission, iERA "has ceased all working relationships with the organisation and have no intention to collaborate or partner with it in the future... furthermore, the board of trustees will inform the Commission in advance if they do plan to work with the organisation in the future and seek its counsel".[40]

Affiliations

References
  1. "Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA), financial history". Charity Commission. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. "Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA), charity overview". Charity Commission. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  3. Gadher, Dipesh; Stringfellow, Amanda (17 March 2013). "University alert over Muslim missionaries". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  4. Mendick, Robert; Lazarus, Ben (24 May 2014). "'Anti-Semitic' charity under investigation". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  5. Companies House, Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA), company number 06941044, Overview.
  6. Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA) Financial Statements, 30 June 2015, Charity Number 1134566, received 10 March 2016.
  7. Companies House, Islamic Education and Research Academy Ltd, company number 06778858, Overview.
  8. Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA) Financial Statements, 30 June 2011, Charity Number 1134566 Archived 23 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine, received 7 December 2012.
  9. Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA) Financial Statements, 30 June 2012, Charity Number 1134566, received 29 April 2013.
  10. Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA) Financial Statements, 30 June 2013, Charity Number 1134566, received 30 April 2014.
  11. Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA) Financial Statements, 30 June 2014, Charity Number 1134566, received 14 April 2015.
  12. Charity Commission, Charity 1134566 Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA), Trustees
  13. Stand For Peace, Islamic Education and Research Academy (iERA), 18 February 2014.
  14. Siddique, Haroon (2 August 2010). "Three-quarters of non-Muslims believe Islam negative for Britain". the Guardian.
  15. "BBC News - Channel 4's Islam film sparks row". bbc.co.uk. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  16. Quinn, Ben (2 September 2012). "Islam TV show triggers deluge of Ofcom complaints". the Guardian.
  17. "Statement on the London Terror Attack – iERA – Conveying The Call". www.iera.org. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
  18. James, Sam Burne (27 May 2014). "Islamic charity rejects report labelling it as a 'hate group'". Third Sector. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  19. Proctor, Kate (20 May 2015). "Islamic preacher Abdur Raheem Green banned from St James Park by Newcastle United". Chronicle live. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  20. Andrew Gilligan (18 Jul 2015). "Jeremy Corbyn, friend to Hamas, Iran and extremists". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  21. Andrew Gilligan (29 November 2014). "'Terror link' Charities get British Millions in Gift Aid". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  22. Saqib Sattar, Vice-Chairman, iERA. "Define Extremism: An Open Letter to the Editor of the Telegraph". iERA. Retrieved 6 December 2014.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. "IERA event at UCL on 9 March". ucl.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 14 March 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  24. Moseley, Tom (10 March 2013). "Segregated Seating Row At UCL Debate Between Islam And Atheism". huffingtonpost.co.uk. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  25. Batty, David (15 March 2013). "UCL bans Islamic group from campus in row over segregated seating". Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  26. iERA | Universities UK Report Vindicates iERA Policies - iERA, iera.org, retrieved 6 November 2014
  27. Kirk, Ashley J (11 December 2013). "Outcry at 'gender apartheid' in new guidance for UK universities". The Independent. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  28. David Churchill. "London university bans preacher who calls homosexuality a 'filthy' disease". Evening Standard, 24 Nov 2014. Retrieved 24 Nov 2014.
  29. Inquiry Report, Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA) (PDF), Charity Commission for England and Wales, 4 November 2016, p. 8
  30. Andrew Gilligan. "Speaker with extremist links to address Detroit bomber's former student group". The Telegraph, 18 January 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  31. Zeyno Baran with Emmet Tuohy (2011). Citizen Islam: The Future of Muslim Integration in the West. Continuum Publishing Group. p. 127. ISBN 9781441130501. Retrieved 28 June 2016.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  32. Rohan Smith. "So-called radical aiming to speak at Australian Muslim conference declares: 'I'm a peaceful hippie'". news.com.au, 17 February 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  33. Evangelising Hate: Islamic Education and Research Academy (iERA) (PDF). Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. May 2014. ISBN 978-0-9926038-1-6. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  34. Hope, Christopher. "Home secretary Theresa May bans radical preacher Zakir Naik from entering UK". The Daily Telegraph. 18 June 2010. Retrieved 7 August 2011. Archived 7 August 2011 at WebCite 7 August 2011.
  35. Shukla, Ashutosh. "Muslim group welcomes ban on preacher". Daily News and Analysis. 22 June 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2011. Archived 7 August 2011 at WebCite 7 August 2011.
  36. "Radical sheik refused entry for Islamic talks". news.com.au. March 17, 2009. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
  37. Inquiry Report, Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA) (PDF), Charity Commission for England and Wales, 4 November 2016, p. 4
  38. "Islamic Education and Research Academy (iERA)". Stand for Peace.
  39. Camilla Turner. "Leading Islamic charity told by watchdog to distance itself from extremism". The Telegraph, 12 November 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  40. Inquiry Report, Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA) (PDF), Charity Commission for England and Wales, 4 November 2016, p. 9
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