Musharraf Hussain al-Azhari

This article is part of the Counter-Terrorism Portal project of Spinwatch.

Still image of Musharraf Hussain al-Azhari speaking at the Quilliam Foundation launch on 22 April 2008. Retrieved on 23/02/10.

Screengrab of Quilliam Foundation Advisors page on Imam Dr Musharraf Hussain al-Azhari using the ‘Way back machine’ on archive.org. Captured on 20/02/10, page archived on April 13 2008.

Musharraf Hussain al-Azhari is the director of the Nottingham based Karimia Institute and an advisor to the Quilliam Foundation.

His organisation, the Karimia Institute, states that it is focused on encouraging and promoting ‘moral, social and spiritual development through worship, education and recreation’. Karimia Institute has recently commenced a series of preventing violent extremism workshops aimed at boys aged from 10-14.

Funding under Prevent

Al-Azhari's Karimia Institute received £50,000 of PVE Funding from 2009-2010 and £50,000 of PVE Funding from 2010-2011.

British Soldiers Attend Mosque

In March 2010, it was reported by the BBC that uniformed British Soldiers from the Mercian Regiment - returning from "their tour of duty fighting the Taliban" - attended the Bobbersmill Mosque (officially known as As-Shifa Mosque) which Musharraf Hussain al-Azhari is the Imam of. Commenting on the visit, Musharraf Hussain Al-Azhari stated that: "most Muslims appreciated the troops' role" and stated that "...the vast majority of Muslims value and see how important the role that our army is performing in some parts of the world...".

Private Jason Gale, stated: "it's quite an honour, the fact that the Muslim community want soldiers to come in." In a video of Private Jason Gale's comments, hosted on the BBC News' article, he described the purpose of his visit as a way of learning about the Muslim Community in Nottingham, but also "to relate that experience [of fighting the Taliban, alongside the Afghan National Security Forces] to our community, in our recruiting area and also for the soldiers to see that the type of religious beliefs they saw over in Afghanistan, relate directly back to what goes on in their home areas".