Islamic Human Rights Commission
London-based human rights research, campaigning and advocacy organisation
| Islamic Human Rights Commission
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profit human rights organisation[1] |
| Founded | 1997[1] |
| Registration ID | 04716690 (Companies House)[2] |
| Headquarters | 202 Preston Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 8PA[2] |
| Key people | Massoud Shadjareh (chair)[3] |
| Website | ihrc.org.uk |
Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) is a London-based organisation undertaking human rights research, campaigning and advocacy. Established in 1997, it describes its work as informed by an Islamic understanding of human rights and directed towards people regardless of their religious, racial or political background.[1] Its registered company is separate from the charity Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust.[4]
IHRC states that it holds special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Its published areas of work include Islamophobia, policing, counter-terrorism legislation, immigration and asylum, and Palestinian rights.[1]
Organisation and legal structure
Companies House records the company Islamic Human Rights Commission as an active private company limited by guarantee without share capital, using the exemption from including 'Limited' in its name. It was incorporated on 31 March 2003, after the organisation's stated foundation in 1997. Its registered office is 202 Preston Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 8PA.[2][1]
In a statement published on 5 March 2026, IHRC identified Massoud Shadjareh as chair of the company and said that he had no role in Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust. It also stated that the company was one of the organisers of Al-Quds Day and that the Trust had no role in that event.[3]
Company officers
The following appointments and resignations appear in the Companies House register.[5]
| Officer | Role | Appointed | Resigned / status on 6 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syed Wajahat Ali | Director | 1 March 2021 | Active[5] |
| Massoud Shadjareh | Director | 31 March 2003 | Active[5] |
| Nazim Hussain Ali | Director | 24 April 2003 | 22 February 2021[5] |
| Saied Reza Ameli | Director | 1 August 2006 | 28 December 2022[5] |
| Faisal Bodi | Director | 28 December 2022 | 11 May 2023[5] |
| Arzu Merali | Director | 18 November 2005 | 15 May 2020[5] |
| Arzu Merali | Secretary | 31 March 2003 | 25 October 2009[5] |
| Seyfeddin Kara | Secretary | 1 August 2006 | 25 August 2010[5] |
| Ahmed Ehtesham Uddin | Secretary | 1 March 2012 | 23 December 2016[5] |
| Theydon Secretaries Limited | Nominee secretary | 31 March 2003 | 31 March 2003[5] |
| Theydon Nominees Limited | Nominee director | 31 March 2003 | 31 March 2003[5] |
Research, advocacy and lobbying
IHRC describes a combination of research, individual casework, community education, lobbying and protest. Its advocacy service assists people pursuing complaints about racial or religious discrimination in public services, including housing, education and policing. Its bookshop hosts events and sells political, Islamic and other publications.[1]
According to its organisational history, IHRC's anti-Muslim discrimination research has covered Britain, France, Germany, Austria, the United States and Canada. It says it participated in the Muslim Safety Forum between 2001 and 2011, and in Home Office panels concerning stop and search and Schedule 7 counter-terrorism powers.[1]
Its campaigning programme includes opposition to Prevent and other counter-terrorism policies, Palestinian rights, the treatment of the Rohingya, and the treatment of Ibrahim el-Zakzaky and his supporters in Nigeria. IHRC states that it supplied the International Criminal Court with research about violence against supporters of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria in 2015 and against the Rohingya in Myanmar in 2017.[1]
Funding and the charitable Trust
IHRC says that its main funding comes from community supporters. It identifies past institutional grants from the European Union and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, while stating that it does not accept government funding.[1]
Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust is registered separately with the Charity Commission under charity number 1106120. The charity's register entry gives its activity as promoting human rights, equality and diversity worldwide.[6]
| Measure | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total income | £642,254 | [6] |
| Total expenditure | £622,947 | [6] |
These figures relate to the Trust, not the company's accounts.[6]
Charity Commission inquiry into the Trust
On 28 October 2025, the Charity Commission announced that it had opened a statutory inquiry into Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust on 8 October. The regulator said it had been engaging with the charity since May 2025 over its involvement in publications and events of a non-charitable company receiving its funding. It also referred to complaints about funding an event at which inflammatory statements were alleged to have been made.[4]
The announced scope covered the Trust's governance, whether its activities furthered its charitable purposes, its relationship with the company, and safeguards separating the two entities. The Commission said it had previously issued an official warning to the Trust on 28 March 2023, partly concerning that relationship. These were regulatory concerns under investigation, rather than findings from a completed inquiry.[4]
See also
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Islamic Human Rights Commission, About Us IHRC, undated, accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Companies House, Islamic Human Rights Commission: overview Find and update company information, accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Islamic Human Rights Commission, Response to Request for comment from The Times: charity profile IHRC, 5 March 2026, accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Charity Commission for England and Wales, Charity investigated over funding of non-charitable company GOV.UK, 28 October 2025, accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 Companies House, Islamic Human Rights Commission: people Find and update company information, accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Charity Commission for England and Wales, Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust: charity overview Register of Charities, accessed 6 November 2026.