Well-known British founder and Muslim charity leader Imam Qasim, chairman of the Al-Khair Foundation (AKF), is facing intense scrutiny after he was seen flying first class on his way back from a charity trip to Gaza to Jordan.
A picture of Imam Qasim, a well-known face in the charity sector in the West, in the first-class area of an airliner, has gone viral. In the first week of Ramadan, Imam Qasim was spotted boarding flight number RJ 111 from Amman, Jordan bound for London Heathrow.
Despite showing off on social media delivering aid in a cargo plane without a seatbelt, Imam Qasim chose to travel back to London in luxury, raising questions about how donations are being used for personal gain. Pictures that have gone viral show Imam Qasim enjoying the luxury of first class.
Extolling the virtues of simplicity in his IQRA TV show and public speeches, Imam Qasim vowed to ensure that not even a crown received from donations was spent on his luxuries. However, pictures of him flying first class tell a different story. He condemned those who travel first class and use charity funds.
Al-Khair Foundation head Imam Qasim’s social media selectively highlights aid giving, omitting details of his first-class travel, raising concerns among donors about the transparency and use of their contributions. The lack of documentation of his entire trip, including luxury accommodations, undermines trust and accountability, the press release said.
A spokesperson for the Al-Khair Foundation confirmed that Imam Qasim – whose full name is Imam Qasim Rashid Ahmad – has no other means of income other than his paid role at the Al-Khair Foundation. The spokesman said that Imam Qasim Rashid Ahmad has the right to travel comfortably.
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Efforts to get an explanation from Imam Qasim about his salary and other potential luxuries were unsuccessful, adding to the skepticism. As founder of the Al-Khair Foundation and CEO of Iqra TV, Imam Qasim has considerable influence in the UK Muslim community and in the charity sector.
Founded in 2003, the Al-Khair Foundation is known for its humanitarian work around the world, but recent revelations have called into question its governance and financial transparency. Donors are demanding greater transparency and accountability to ensure that their contributions are effectively used for charitable purposes, rather than for personal indulgence.
The Al-Khair Foundation was banned from operating in Pakistan in May 2018. Authorities were asked to suspend 11 international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) after the Ministry of Interior denied them permission to operate in the country over concerns about financial transparency and objectives.
The banned NGOs included four UK-based INGOs, two from the US and one each from China, Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Pakistan. The letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs said that these organizations had applied for registration with the Ministry of Home Affairs, which had been refused.
Local police in various cities have been asked to shut them down if they are still working within their capacity According to the letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the INGOs that were denied permission to operate are Zia-ul Ummat Foundation UK, Al-Khair Foundation UK, Safe World UK, International Alert UK, Center For International Enterprise USA, Acumen Fund Inc USA, AVRDC -World Vegetable Center Taiwan Republic of China, Central Asia Education Trust Pakistan, Danish Refugee Council Denmark, Foundation Open Society Institute Pakistan Switzerland and Oxfam Novib Netherlands.
Al-Khair Foundation (UK) said it withdrew the application in August 2017 before it was processed. The charity condemned Pakistan’s interior ministry for banning it. The charity announced in August 2020 that it would work in collaboration with former governor Chaudhary Sawar’s Sarwar Foundation to install water filtration equipment in various areas of Punjab, but nothing has been done. Sarwar and Imam Qasim have also raised tens of thousands of pounds in UK cities. Sarwar promised at events in the UK to provide a full update on the funds, but no update was ever provided.
