The Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) at Clonskeagh in Dublin has accused a “radicalised” wing of the Muslim community of intimidating and trying to “silence” one of its leading members, according to The Irish Times.
A dispute over control of the centre deepened on Friday when the ICCI criticised attacks on social media against Dr Eid Zaher, who had pleaded during the week for a resolution.
In a letter circulated on Muslim-community WhatsApp groups last Wednesday, Dr Zaher, secretary to ICCI imam Sheikh Hussein Halawa, called on an unnamed “senior official” at the ICCI “to step down in favour of the public interest and to prevent further harm”, The Irish Times reported.
He also appealed to “wise and thoughtful members of the Muslim community in Ireland to kindly encourage this senior official to step down”.
The ICCI has been closed since an alleged physical altercation at a meeting on April 19th, to which gardaí were called.
An auditor has been appointed by the Al Maktoum Foundation, which built and funds the ICCI, to investigate alleged financial irregularities there.
In a statement following social media posts about Dr Zaher’s intervention this week, the ICCI said it was “deeply saddened by the radicalised behaviour of certain individuals within our community who have attacked, intimidated, harassed, insulted and defamed Dr Sheikh Eid [Dr Zaher]”.
He “is a member of the religious Dawah department of our mosque (which gives religious guidance),” it said. “Such actions to silence dissenting voices are unacceptable” and were “a cowardly attack and yet another example of the extremist tendencies of certain elements within the community”, it said.
“Freedom of expression is a deeply valued principle and an integral part of the shared norms ... in Irish society,” the ICCI statement said.
“We pray for the enlightenment and reform of these radical elements so that the mosque and centre can reopen in an atmosphere of peace and security for our employees, the children and the community,” it said.