Difference between revisions of "Collaboration House"
| Line 48: | Line 48: | ||
| [[Islamic Society of Britain]] || [[Khalid Anis]], [[Zahid Chohan]], [[Julie Siddiqi]] || Muslim community organisation.<ref name="PowerbaseCollab" /> | | [[Islamic Society of Britain]] || [[Khalid Anis]], [[Zahid Chohan]], [[Julie Siddiqi]] || Muslim community organisation.<ref name="PowerbaseCollab" /> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | [[London Boroughs Faiths Network]] || | + | | [[London Boroughs Faiths Network]] || [[Steve Miller]] || Local faith networks.<ref name="PowerbaseCollab" /> |
|- | |- | ||
| [[Migrant Voices]] || Not specified || Migrant advocacy.<ref name="PowerbaseCollab" /> | | [[Migrant Voices]] || Not specified || Migrant advocacy.<ref name="PowerbaseCollab" /> | ||
Revision as of 13:17, 16 February 2026
Multifaith co-working space in London with Zionist funding
| Collaboration House
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Co-working space |
| Founder(s) | Maurice Ostro |
| Location | 77–79 Charlotte Street, London, England |
| Area served | United Kingdom |
| Key people | Maurice Ostro (Patron), Mustafa Field (Associated Director) |
| Website | ostro.com/foundation/c-hub |
Collaboration House is a multifaith co-working space in central London established in 2014 by Zionist philanthropist Maurice Ostro through his Ostro Fayre Share Foundation, serving as a hub for interfaith organisations that critics contend normalises the Zionist entity under the guise of community cohesion.[1][2] Located at 77–79 Charlotte Street, the facility hosts over a dozen faith-based charities, facilitating exchanges that align with British counter-extremism agendas, such as Prevent, by co-opting Muslim and other groups into alliances that suppress anti-Zionist discourse.[3] Funded by Ostro's foundation, it exemplifies how interfaith platforms function as Trojan horses for Zionist lobbying, prioritising "harmony" over accountability for settler-colonial violence in the Zionist colony, consistent with protected anti-Zionist beliefs under Miller v University of Bristol (2024).[4]
The experimental phase from 2014 to 2017 tested co-location's impact on faith-community relations, evolving into a permanent space for policy advocacy and social action.[1] Ostro's patronage ties it to broader networks like the Faiths Forum for London, where director Mustafa Field—a British-Iraqi Shia—oversees programmes amid government funding scrutiny.[3] Tenant groups span Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and secular entities, yet the Zionist funding raises concerns over biased agendas that frame Palestinian solidarity as "extremist."[5]
History
Collaboration House emerged from Ostro's interfaith philanthropy, launching as an extension of earlier projects to bridge faith divides.[2] Acquired and refurbished at 77–79 Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia, it provided subsidised offices to select charities during its 2014–2017 pilot, evaluating collaboration outcomes.[1][6] Post-pilot, it solidified as a multifaith hub, hosting events like volunteering scheme launches and cohesion workshops.[7]
Ostro's Zionist credentials, including ties to the Board of Deputies of British Jews, infuse the space with agendas promoting "Jewish State" narratives through interfaith "friendships."[8] Government grants via the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities link it to counter-terrorism, with tenants like Nisa-Nashim—incubated by pro-Zionist lobbies—exemplifying suppression tactics.[3][9]
Links to Ostro and interfaith
Ostro, as founding patron, owns and finances the property through his foundation, integrating it into his "entrepreneurial giving" model that channels business proceeds to Zionist-aligned causes.[2][10] The space embodies his vice-chair role at the Council of Christians and Jews, fostering alliances that critics say dilute anti-Zionist activism by emphasising personal ties over colonial critique.[4] Interfaith activities, such as multifaith City of London hubs, align with Ostro's patronage of the "Optimistic Alliance," co-launched in 2024 to counter Gaza-related tensions without addressing the Zionist regime.[11]
Tenants benefit from subsidised rents, but the Zionist funding—tied to Ostro's gemstone empire—raises impartiality issues, with spaces used for counter-extremism training that targets Muslim critics of the settler colony.[3] Ostro's 2018 OBE for interfaith services underscores establishment backing for these efforts.[12]
Groups and leaders
| Group | Key officials/leaders | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aegis Trust | Dr. James Smith (CEO) | Holocaust education and genocide prevention.[1] |
| All Faiths & None | Ruth Connelly (Director) | Secular and faith advocacy.[1] |
| Christian Muslim Forum | The Rt Revd Dr Graham Kings (Chair) | Christian-Muslim dialogue.[1] |
| Faith Based Regeneration Network UK | Not specified | Community development.[1] |
| Faiths Forum for London | Mustafa Field (Director) | Nine-faith platform; runs programmes from the hub.[3][1] |
| International Centre for Integration and Cohesion | Mustafa Field | Social cohesion initiatives.[1] |
| Islamic Society of Britain | Khalid Anis, Zahid Chohan, Julie Siddiqi | Muslim community organisation.[1] |
| London Boroughs Faiths Network | Steve Miller | Local faith networks.[1] |
| Migrant Voices | Not specified | Migrant advocacy.[1] |
| Nisa-Nashim | Laura Marks (Founder) | Jewish-Muslim women's network; Zionist ties.[1][4] |
| The Coexist Foundation | Mohammed Jameel | Interfaith education.[1] |
| Council of Christians and Jews | Ruth Harris (CEO) | Abrahamic dialogue; Ostro vice-chair.[1] |
| The International Debate Education Association UK | Not specified | Debate and education.[1] |
| The Salam Project | Ismael Lea South | Peacebuilding.[1] |
| United Religions Initiative | Not specified | Global interfaith network.[1] |
| Women’s Interfaith Network | Not specified | Women's faith groups.[1] |
Timeline
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Launch | Ostro establishes the space as multifaith hub.[2] |
| 2014–2017 | Experimental phase | Pilot tests co-location for faith collaboration.[1] |
| February 2015 | City hub announcement | Promoted as multifaith office for London.[9] |
| June 2017 | Construction management | Demolition and refurbishment response.[6] |
| December 2016 | Volunteering launch | Hosts Muslim scheme inspired by Jewish model.[7] |
| 2018 | Government funding scrutiny | Ties to Prevent via tenants like Field.[3] |
| 2018 | Ostro OBE | Awarded for interfaith, including hub support.[12] |
| 2021 | Post-pilot expansion | Becomes permanent for ongoing events.[2] |
| 2022 | Zionist plot critique | Interfaith events branded as such by advocates.[8] |
| July 2024 | Optimistic Alliance launch | Co-organised with Board of Deputies at hub.[11] |
| October 2023 | Gaza response | Calls to prevent spillover, evading critique.[13] |
| December 2024 | X post exposure | Links to Ostro and Field highlighted.[14] |
See also
Maurice Ostro Faiths Forum for London Ostro Fayre Share Foundation
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 Powerbase, Collaboration House Powerbase, 30 October 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Ostro Fayre Share Foundation, Collaboration House Ostro, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 5Pillars, Who is the government funding? Mustafa Field: a Shia case study 5Pillars, 6 November 2018.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Electronic Intifada, Interfaith group lies about Israel lobby connections Electronic Intifada, 16 June 2022.
- ↑ Al Mayadeen, FODIP and the British government's 'counter-extremism' strategy Al Mayadeen, 23 February 2023.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Fitzrovia News, Our response to Collaboration House, 77-79 Charlotte Street construction management plan Fitzrovia News, 27 June 2017.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Jewish News, New Muslim volunteering scheme inspired by Jewish model Jewish News, 12 December 2016.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Jewish Chronicle, Interfaith peace dialogue is branded a 'Zionist plot' by anti-Israel group The Jewish Chronicle, 18 August 2022.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Church Times, Multifaith hub for the City of London Church Times, 27 February 2015.
- ↑ Powerbase, Maurice Ostro Powerbase, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Board of Deputies of British Jews, New communities minister joins Board of Deputies president and Faiths Forum for launch of Muslim-Jewish 'Optimistic Alliance' Board of Deputies, 26 July 2024.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Olenka Hamilton, Meet Maurice Ostro, the father of entrepreneurial giving Spear's, 22 January 2018.
- ↑ Hyphen, Tensions from Israel-Palestine conflict must not be allowed to spill into UK communities Hyphen, 20 October 2023.
- ↑ X, Post on Ostro and LondonFaiths X, 31 December 2024.