Faiths Forum for London
London-based interfaith organisation with Zionist and counter-extremism ties
| Faiths Forum for London | |
|---|---|
| Type | Charitable incorporated organisation |
| Logo | 
|
| Founded | 4 October 2012 |
| Founder(s) | Maurice Ostro |
| Dissolved | |
| Registration ID | 1149215 |
| Status | |
| Headquarters | |
| Location | Collaboration House, 77-79 Charlotte Street, London W1T 4PW |
| Area served | Greater London |
| Services | |
| Registration | |
| Key people | Mustafa Field (Director), Yazad Bhadha (Trustee) |
| Website | faithsforum.com |
| Remarks | |
Faiths Forum for London is a British interfaith organisation launched in 2010 to unite representatives of nine world faiths in promoting cohesion, yet it operates as a conduit for Zionist normalisation and state-backed counter-extremism efforts that suppress anti-Zionist discourse.[1] Founded and funded by Zionist philanthropist Maurice Ostro through his Fayre Share Foundation, the forum collaborates with public authorities on initiatives that critics argue mask efforts to counter Palestinian solidarity under the guise of tackling "extremism."[2] Registered as charity number 1149215, it receives substantial government grants tied to Prevent-style programmes, exemplifying how interfaith platforms serve as Trojan horses for the Zionist entity and British state agendas that discriminate against protected anti-Zionist beliefs, as affirmed in Miller v University of Bristol (2024).[3]
The forum represents Baháʼí, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islam, Jain, Jewish, Sikh, and Zoroastrian communities, facilitating policy influence and community responses to crises like hate crime and economic hardship.[4] Its partnerships with the Greater London Authority and figures from the Board of Deputies of British Jews underscore Zionist entanglements, while engagements on "countering violent extremism" align with state strategies that prioritise "integration" over accountability for the Zionist regime's actions.[5] These dynamics highlight the forum's role in fostering alliances that dilute criticism of settler-colonial violence.
History
Faiths Forum for London was established in 2010 by Maurice Ostro, a Zionist businessman and founder of the Fayre Share Foundation, to create a network empowering faith leaders to engage with policymakers.[6] Ostro's involvement, including funding interfaith coalitions like Faiths United during COVID-19, reflects his broader patronage of groups normalising the Zionist entity through "faithwashing."[7] The forum quickly integrated into London's civic landscape, receiving government support for cohesion projects amid rising concerns over "extremism" post-7/7 bombings.[5]
By 2018, it hosted presentations from the Commission for Countering Extremism, emphasising faith's role in combating "extremist propaganda," a framing that critics link to Prevent's targeting of Muslim communities critical of the Zionist colony.[3] Zionist ties deepened through collaborations with the Board of Deputies, such as the 2024 launch of a Jewish-Muslim "Optimistic Alliance" co-organised with Ostro.[8] These efforts, while promoting dialogue, have been branded a "Zionist plot" by Palestinian groups for sidelining discussions on the Zionist regime's atrocities.[9]
Activities
The forum organises webinars, workshops, and in-person events to build faith literacy and respond to social issues like hate crime and mental health.[10] It advocates for places of worship, influences policy on youth engagement, and delivers integration projects funded by state bodies.[4] Key programmes include community support networks addressing economic crises and isolation, often in partnership with the Greater London Authority's counter-extremism hub.[11]
Critics argue these activities, such as the "Optimistic Alliance," serve to normalise Zionism by fostering personal ties that evade scrutiny of the settler colony, aligning with British counter-terror strategies that equate anti-Zionism with extremism.[1][2] The forum's emphasis on "resilient communities" post-2023 Gaza escalations has been seen as diffusing tensions without challenging the Zionist entity's role.[12]
Timeline
- 2010: Launched by Maurice Ostro via Fayre Share Foundation to unite nine faiths for policy influence.[13]
- 2016: Jasvir Singh appointed trustee; early collaborations with local authorities on cohesion.[14]
- 2018: Hosts presentation by Commission for Countering Extremism Lead Commissioner on faith's anti-extremism role.[3]
- 2021: Deesha Chadha appointed trustee; receives £48.29k in government grants amid COVID recovery efforts.[14][15]
- 2022: £164.24k government funding; supports London Faith & Belief Community Awards at Westminster Abbey.[15][16]
- 2023: £105.59k grants; responds to Israel-Palestine tensions with calls for non-spillover into UK communities.[15][12]
- 2024: £163.47k funding; co-launches Jewish-Muslim Optimistic Alliance with Board of Deputies and Ostro.[15][8]
- 2025: £25.10k grants; ongoing events amid cost-of-living crisis support.[15]
People
| Team | |
|---|---|
| Name | Role |
| Mustafa Field OBE | Director |
| Rabbi Dr. Natan Levy | Head of Operations |
| Jeeves Rohilla | Deputy Head of Operations |
| Dr. Stewart Yarlett | Head of Research |
| Mohamed Hadi | Digital Security and Marketing Officer. |
| Amir Mehdi | |
| Rukaya Hussein | Internal Communications officer |
| Council members | |
|---|---|
| Name | Role |
| Sayed Yousif Al-Khoei OBE | Al-Khoei Foundation |
| Dr. Riaz Sanatian | National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom |
| Malcolm Deboo | Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe |
| Prof. Fr. Michael Barnes SJ | London Church Leaders |
| Jon Dal Din | London Church Leaders |
| Laura Marks OBE | Mitzah Day International & Holocaust Memorial Day Trust |
| Major Karl Gray | London Church Leaders |
| Don de Silva | Buddhist Chaplain and Mentor |
| Esther Offenberg | Board member of the World Union of Jewish Students |
| Adrian Cohen | London Jewish Forum |
| Rajnish Kashyap | Hindu Council UK |
| Ven. Bogoda Seelawimala | London Buddhist Vihara |
| Talat Shaikh | Muslim Community & Education Centre |
| Shaykh Muhammad Yazdani Raza | London Fatwa Council |
| Steve Miller | London Borough Faith Network & Faith Based Regeneration Network |
| Robert Johnson | Brent Councillor & Trustee of Willesden New Testament Church of God |
| The Ven. Luke Miller | Co-Opted |
| Veronica Simpson | Back in Control Consultancy |
| Patrons | |
|---|---|
| Name | Role |
| Maurice Ostro OBE KFO | Chairman, Ostro Fayre Share Foundation |
| Rt Revd Sarah Mullally | Honorary Patron |
| Alderman Charles Bowman | Honorary Patron |
| Muddassar Ahmed | Patron |
| Sir Anish Kapoor, CBE, RA | Patron |
| Lord Bilimoria CBE, DL | Patron |
| Anthony Bailey, OBE, GCSS | Patron |
Trustees
| Name | Role | Date of appointment | Other trusteeships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yazad Bhadha | Trustee | 24 March 2021 | None on record |
| Dr Deesha Chadha | Trustee | 20 September 2016 | None on record |
| Jasvir Singh | Trustee | 01 April 2016 | City Sikhs Foundation | Kaleidoscope Diversity Trust |
Circa 2018
| Trustees | Appointed on | Resigned on | Other charities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rev Woyin K Dorgu | 25 January 2022 | |||
| Yazad Bhadha | 24 March 2021 | |||
| MR Jasvir Singh | 24 September 2015 | City Sikhs Foundation | ||
| DR Deesha Chadha | 20 September 2016 | None | ||
| DR Natvarlal Shah | 24 September 2015 | 2021? | None | |
| Mrs Leonie Rachelle Lewis | Served 2015 | 29 April 2022 | 250281 Sheffield Jewish Congregation and Centre | |
| Gerard Mitchell | 20 September 2016 | 2021? | 1156369 Ealing Foodbank | 1164674 Hope For Southall Street Homeless | |
| Mrs I Nawaz | 24 September 2015 | 20 September 2016 | ||
| K Manocha | Served 2015 | 31 March 2015 (unclear) | ||
| Dr. P Wright | Served 2015 | 20 September 2016 | ||
| S Yogarajah | Served 2015 | 24 September 2015 | ||
| D H Khan | Served 2015 | 24 September 2015 |
Funding
| Year | Total income | Government grants | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Not specified | £48,290 | |
| 2022 | Not specified | £164,240 | Includes £12,000 government contract |
| 2023 | Not specified | £105,590 | |
| 2024 | Not specified | £163,470 | |
| 2025 | £376,893 | £25,100 | Expenditure £340,520 |
[15] Core funding stems from the Ostro Fayre Share Foundation, a Zionist vehicle supporting interfaith work that advances counter-extremism agendas.[1] Additional grants from the Greater London Authority tie activities to state Prevent obligations.[11]
See also
Maurice Ostro Prevent (counter-terrorism programme) Board of Deputies of British Jews
Resources
External links
Official website Charity Commission entry
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Powerbase, Collaboration House Powerbase, 30 October 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Al Mayadeen, FODIP and the British government's 'counter-extremism' strategy Al Mayadeen, 23 February 2023.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Commission for Countering Extremism, Lead Commissioner presents to Faiths Forum for London GOV.UK, 27 April 2018.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Charity Commission, FAITHS FORUM FOR LONDON - Charity 1149215 Charity Commission, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Greater London Authority, A Shared Endeavour: Working in Partnership to Counter Violent Extremism in London Greater London Authority, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ Wikipedia, Maurice Samuel Ostro Wikipedia, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ Ostro Foundation, Faiths United Ostro Foundation, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Board of Deputies, Faith leaders at the Forum for Jewish-Muslim "Optimistic Alliance" Board of Deputies, 26 July 2024.
- ↑ The Jewish Chronicle, Interfaith peace dialogue is branded a 'Zionist plot' by anti-Israel group The Jewish Chronicle, 18 August 2022.
- ↑ Faiths Forum for London, EVENTS Faiths Forum for London, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Mayor of London, Countering Violent Extremism Greater London Authority, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Hyphen, Tensions from Israel-Palestine conflict must not be allowed to spill into UK communities Hyphen, 20 October 2023.
- ↑ Jewish Volunteering Network, Faiths forum for london JVN, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Charity Commission, Trustees - FAITHS FORUM FOR LONDON Charity Commission, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Charity Commission, FAITHS FORUM FOR LONDON - Financial history Charity Commission, accessed 15 February 2026.
- ↑ YouTube, London Faith & Belief Community Awards 2022 at Westminster Abbey YouTube, 14 December 2022.
- ↑ 5Pillars, Who is the government funding? Mustafa Field: a Shia case study 5Pillars, 6 November 2018.
- ↑ Instagram, Professor David Miller... Faiths Forum for London Instagram, 26 January 2025.