Mosques endorsed candidates “undercover” during recent by-elections to evade the law, a Green Party official has suggested.
During a fringe panel discussion at the Green Party conference last week, Green campaigns coordinator Asma Alam (pictured, left) said mosques had backed candidates despite being registered charities.
Alam coordinated Hannah Spencer’s (pictured, centre) successful campaign in the Gorton & Denton by-election in February.
Charities “must not support a political party or candidate”, according to guidance from the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
The National Secular Society, which raised a question about endorsements from mosques during the fringe event, has referred the matter to the Electoral Commission and the Charity Commission.
Party official names mosque which endorsed Greens
At the fringe event entitled “Campaigning lessons in building the support of Muslim voters”, NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson asked how seeking endorsement from mosques squared with the fact that most mosques are registered charities and therefore cannot support political candidates.
Alam replied “they can do it undercover which happened with me”.
She gave the example of Quba Mosque in Manchester, which she said announced its support for the Green Party after being “disappointed by Labour”.
Alam added: “I shouldn’t have mentioned the name”.
The NSS has reported Quba Mosque to the Charity Commission.
She also made reference to a list of 14 mosques to ‘get on board’ during her campaign in Gorton & Denton, and added she “got all covered”.
The Greens’ campaign at Gorton & Denton was accused of promoting sectarianism.
Democracy Volunteers said they saw “the highest levels of family voting at any election in our 10 year history of observing elections in the UK” at Gorton & Denton. ‘Family voting’ is where two voters either confer, collude or direct each other on voting, which breaches the secret ballot. Greater Manchester Police say they found no evidence of family voting.
The secretary of the Leicester Green Party Chris Williams, who was also a panelist, said there were rumours that mosque committees had endorsed political candidates during the Stoneygate by-election in February, which was also won by the Green Party.
One of his slides referred to worshippers at mosques not necessarily following “committee endorsements”.
Most mosques are registered with the Charity Commission under the charitable purpose of ‘the advancement of religion’, which gives them access to tax exemptions.
In 2015, the Charity Commission instructed the National Council of Hindu Temples UK to remove a notice on their website which appeared to endorse the Conservative Party over their refusal to ban caste discrimination.
“Be modestly dressed” and “wear a keffiyeh” when interacting with Muslim votes
During the fringe event, Alam said Green campaigners would get “instant brownie points” by greeting Muslim voters with “assalamu alaykum”. She also advised them to “be modestly dressed”.
A slide displayed during Alam’s speech said to thank people who accept a leaflet with “JasakAllah” and that “wearing a keffiyeh is always a bonus”. A keffiyeh is a scarf associated with the pro-Palestine movement.
She encouraged campaigners to target mosques during public iftar (meals held to break the Ramadan fast) and jummah (Friday prayers). The Greens put out a call for activists to assist with leafletting for jummah at Manchester mosques, including Quba mosque, during the Burnage by-election in August.
Alam added that campaigners needed to “debunk myths” that the Greens would ban halal slaughter and circumcision.
During a separate fringe event on Saturday, Electoral Commission chair John Pullinger raised concerns about Muslim women being coerced in voting, including during the Gorton & Denton by election.
Panellist Faiza Shaheen suggested some who raised these concerns were motivated by “Islamophobia”, and compared the issue to white people who vote the same way as their parents.
The fringe had been entitled “Muslim women in political spaces” in the official conference timetable, but was changed to “Global majority women in political spaces” on the day itself.
NSS: “Seeking religious endorsements risks fuelling sectarian politics”
NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said: “These remarks suggest a knowing attempt to circumvent the rules barring charities from endorsing political parties or candidates.
“The Charity Commission should investigate, and the Green Party needs to explain what it knew. Mosques must follow the same rules as every other charity.
“Seeking religious endorsements risks fuelling sectarian politics – which is a dangerous and divisive road to go down.”
Media coverage: