Muslim charity says ‘controlling husbands are just caring’

From the Telegraph

Regulators have been urged to suspend the charitable status of an Islamic organisation accused of issuing “misogynistic” advice that husbands must be obeyed in all circumstances.

The Muslim Family Foundation (MFF) is alleged to use its social media accounts to promote the subordination of women, saying that a wife must seek her husband’s permission in every aspect of family life, and that his controlling behaviour is simply a sign of care.

The National Secular Society (NSS) has lodged a formal complaint with the Charity Commission over the MFF’s use of its charitable status to promote hard-line religious beliefs and allegedly harmful psychotherapy and counselling services.

In one of its videos on Instagram, MFF tells Muslim women they can respect their husbands by “always asking for his permission when you want to go out” and by “lowering your gaze” in front of men who are not members of the family.

Another MFF film, posted on YouTube, states that the husband’s “opinions should come before everyone else’s” and that he “must have the final say” in big family decisions.

The charity, based in Newham, east London, also offers “Islamic counselling, psychotherapy and coaching” with a “Muslim therapist” to help with “women’s issues, marriage, family issues and identity issues”.

In one video, Shaykh Muaaz Vahora,  a former civil servant with the Department for Transport who is one of MFF’s co-founders and leading preachers, says: “A woman must serve her husband by cooking and cleaning, by looking after the house. It is religiously obligatory for her to do so, and if she does not do so, she will be sinful.”

Another video says women should dress modestly because those who “cover themselves in make-up” or are “someone undressed” acquire “the sin of everyone who looks at her”.

As a new charity, the MFF, which registered under the purpose of “the advancement of religion” in November 2024, is not yet required to provide its financial accounts or annual return. The MFF said: “The Muslim Family Foundation firmly rejects these baseless allegations, which misrepresent our work. Our counselling services and courses are designed to support and strengthen families . . . ”