The Islamic Cultural Centre has been “stifled by exclusion and a lack of vision” says the Irish Muslim Peace Council amid shock and confusion over the closure of Ireland’s largest mosque.
The Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) in Clonskeagh, Dublin, has been closed to the public since early last week following a disturbing incident which allegedly occurred last weekend.
A picture of a sign hung on the entrance to the site read: “We regret to inform you that, following a deeply troubling incident on April 19 – an unprecedented and distressing attack on our mosque, centre and members of the board – we have no choice but to temporarily close the mosque to the public.”
Although the statement didn’t explain the details of the “distressing attack” it did confirm that an investigation was under way.
Following the shock announcement, wild speculation spread online about the incident and the mosque itself.
In their statement, the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council said the moment “must be a turning point” and called for it to help transparency, unity, modernisation and the empowering of youth.
It said: “A mosque that ignores its youth has no future. The ICCI must provide spaces for young Muslims to lead, learn, and contribute …not be sidelined by outdated hierarchies.”
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The council said the ICCI “belongs to the Muslim community, not to any one group. It is time for a fresh start; one built on transparency, unity, and genuine service.”
“The Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council stands ready to assist in this process.
The ICCI will remain closed as it undertakes a full review of its security posture.
In the meantime, the Board is also conducting a comprehensive audit to address and remedy the legal, financial, and governance issues it has inherited.
Security incident
Confusion still surrounds what actually happened on April 19 which led to the closure of the site.
Irish police known locally as Gardaí confirmed that they attended the scene, but said that it was not a criminal matter and they has not initiated any investigation into what happened.
Amid wild speculation being posted on social media, the ICCI has released a statement explaining in more detail what happened.
“On Saturday, 19 April, the ICCI Board had scheduled a closed-door meeting specifically for the parents of children enrolled at the Quranic School to discuss school-related matters. However, attempts were made to disrupt the meeting and transform it into an open community gathering at an incorrect venue.
there was a coordinated effort to instigate chaos, intimidate and harass parents, and obstruct their entry to the scheduled meeting, which also led to physical assault on a staff and the Board. This resulted in a heightened security situation, creating an unsafe environment for our Board Member, staff, parents, the general public, and young people in attendance.
Following this incident—and in light of credible information received by the Board regarding planned protests, including potential attempts to breach the Centre’s gates and forcibly take control of the premises—the Board determined that maintaining security would be impossible if the Centre remained open.”
It remains unclear what the dispute was about and why it became so heated.
In a message to the Muslim community in Ireland, Imam of the mosque, Sheikh Hussein Halawa, described news of the closure of the centre as “distressing”.
He described the centre as “a symbol of unity” and urged people to “verify the accuracy of any news you hear and not to be swept away by rumours.”
Financial irregularities
A newly appointed Board, having recently taken charge, has also raised serious concerns regarding financial irregularities and governance failures at the ICCI.
According to a statement released on the ICCI website, an internal review was underway, and an internal auditor had been appointed to assist with this process.
“As part of this effort, the management requested financial records and other relevant documents from the Principal and Deputy Principal of the Quranic School. However, they refused to comply, unlawfully withheld ICCI property, and removed sensitive records without authorisation.
Assertions circulating that any foreign party has made a request for any data are completely false and are categorically denied. No such request has been received, nor has any action been taken in this regard. These statements are defamatory and baseless. The Centre reiterates that rumours of pressure from abroad or any external actors/parties are false and without foundation.”
