KARIMAHS CUISINA’S POLICY AND PROCEDURES ON EXTREMISM SPEAKERS AND ACTIVITIES

POLICY STATEMENT
Karimah’s Cuisina is a registered non profit company, known as a “charity” in our governing document.
Our main Objective is the “To preserve and protect health and to relieve those in need due to ill health, for the benefit of the public, in particular, but not limited to, those from black and minority ethnic communities by advancing education in the field of health and well being, cookery and nutrition, from both an Islamic and Western perspective.”
We do this through the provision of street work; feeding homeless and needy, visiting hostels, health and well being workshops and public speaking events where Muslim and non-Muslims can participate. We also carry out this objective through our PR and marketing campaigns and the production of materials and literature, relative to health, nutrition and wellbeing for Muslim and non-Muslims.
As a Muslim charity, which receives funding mainly but not exclusively from Muslims we also have a duty to ensure that the Muslim perspective on health, nutrition and well being is included in our outputs as well as other forms of medicine and therapies, not restricted, in a climate of rising anti-Islamic sentiment and hatred.
As Charitable non profit company that receives a minority of grants from local councils or established UK charities as well as random donations from social media fundraising, we cannot be responsible for all sources of donations from peoples that are un known to us, that choose to donate.
We also acknowledge that we have a duty under the law to ensure that our charity is not used for educational matter, speeches and activities that are unlawful. We also acknowledge that for any knowledge to advance sometimes it is necessary to hear and question views that are labelled as “unconventional” “radical” and “extremist” which in time become the norm in society. These views may well be outside the current norms of society. We also accept that extremist and radical views are not necessarily against the law, and therefore we need to ensure freedom of religious expression is not curtailed, especially in a society that encourages freedom of speech.
Therefore this policy is being introduced to ensure that Karimah’s Cuisina:
• Meets Charity Commission guidance on Extremism published in January 2013, in line with government policy. The policy seeks to ensure that our charity effectively manages the risks associated with holding public events , activities and literature.
• Continues to achieve its objectives of advancing the Islamic and other methods, therapies and remedies for health and well being, does not break any laws, specifically on terrorism and hate crime.
• Ensure steps are taken that those involved with Karimah’s Cuisina and in the delivery of its activities, do not break the law in relation to violence, terrorism, and hate crime, where is possible for us. We cannot be responsible for what volunteers do outside of the time that they spend doing activaties with us.
• FEED THE NEED, feeding the homeless in central London is one of our activities, it’s an on street/visiting hostels project. This is a street activity where indiscriminate members of the public approach us for and with food, money, clothes and help. We seek to engage Muslims and the wider community in raising awareness of the plight of those less fortunate so we are not in the habit of turning away offered of help.
We cannot be responsible for random offers of help be it material or physical, when we distribute food on the street, as they are not part of our regular team.
• As well as ensuring that Karimah’s Cuisina complies with the law and regulatory guidance of the Charity Commission on Extremism, the Policy will seek to ensure the right balance is struck between managing risk and restricting freedom of Muslims to express themselves and come together to advance their religion and knowledge.
• Ensure procedures are in place to prevent the promotion of violence and terrorism at our events or activities.
• Ensure procedures are in place to ensure that extremism and hate towards others is not promoted at our events and activities. Our policy and procedures will also cover online/media activities and educational and marketing materials produced by Karimah’s Cuisina. In line with Islamic requirements we will ensure that our activities promote good relations, cohesion and respect between all communities, faiths and races.
• As a charity that is focused on the advancement of well being from an Islamic and wider community perspective, we understand that we have to address and provide learning on those areas deemed controversial in the wider public. We will however manage such activities in a way in which the scope for misunderstanding and negative publicity is reduced.
• We have a Grievance Policy and Procedure which is available on demand
• Insha’allah we will continue to manage volunteers, by asking for references, trustee discussion, as well as making them aware of our Preventing Extremism Policy and signing a document to say that they agree with our ethos.

PROCEDURE
Responsibility All Trustees, staff and volunteers working with the Karimahs Cuisina will be encouraged to sign a statement saying they have read, understood and will abide by this policy and its procedures. These signed statements will be kept on our files. We will endeavour within our resources to provide training to trustees, staff and volunteers on Government Policy and Charity Commission guidance on terrorism, extremism and the law. We will where necessary, balance this with training on the law and freedom of expression and rights.
To assist us in the management of risk, an Activities Planning Group (APG) of trustees, staff, and volunteers will be established. This group will effectively continuously review our activities to develop guidance on standards and ethics. it will also review and amended this document should our activities expand insha’alah.
PUBLICATIONS , EDUCATIONAL AND MARKETING
Materials Any courses materials and books or other publications will also be scrutinized for adherence to this policy, before publication and circulation. Any leaflets, publicity and marketing materials including media press releases, interviews and website content, will be subject to the same scrutiny as speakers. The APG or an external agent will be commissioned to review any materials and assess them for risks of being perceived or labelled as extremism and make recommendations. Any reports and decisions made on the suitability of such materials will be recorded.
Third Party Information and Relations
All external leafleting at events run by Karimah’s Cuisina will be prohibited unless they have been approved beforehand and meet with the requirements of the policy. At any talk this policy will be reaffirmed and speakers and audience will be asked not to distribute anything at the event, or make such comments which breach this policy. We will also try to ensure that others we have contractual relationships with, also adhere to our policy.
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
This is not Karimah’s Cuisina Complaints policy. That’s a separate document available via email.
Allegations of extremism, violent or pro-terrorist speeches or comments must be made in the first instance in writing to the trustees using the complaint form. This will be available via email. Any complainant that goes straight to the media first before making a complaint to the trustees will be considered malicious and not dealt with unless the chairman decides it needs investigating. Any trustee or staff, volunteers or representative of the Karimah’s Cuisina that wishes to make a complaint and goes straight to the media or other body, without first complaining to the trustees, will be liable to instant dismissal for bringing the charity into disrepute.
Any allegation must be made in writing by a person bona fide person and state the evidence, i.e. incident, time and date, what was said, and by whom and the reasons why it was considered extremist or hateful. No general accusations will be entertained. Names of witnesses may need to be provided. If the complaint is made during one of our events, or by the media, we may seek to investigate the incident immediately and respond to the complainant or the make a public statement. Members of the APG or Trustees will consider the complaint to see if the policy has been breached and make a decision or we make ask an independent person or expert to look at it and advise us.
Where we are certain someone has broken the law we will inform the Police. Islamically
Witnesses are required unless someone, the accused, has put extremist views in writing or made public.
If the complaint is upheld the speaker will be asked to either clarify his comment and we will make public the clarification if this is after the event.
If he/she refuses or repeats the comments they will be asked not take part in future events.
At an event if a member of the public makes a complaint we will ask the speaker to clarify the comment through the chair of the panel or a trustee or senior member of staff and if the comment is breach of our policy and the speakers continues to make the comment we will ask them not to take any further part in the event.
All complaints and decisions will be kept on file.
MONITORING AND REVIEW
We will update the Trustees on a regular basis on the number of complaints and issues arising under this policy and procedure. An independent annual report on the effectiveness of this policy and procedure will be carried out and the policy updated. The APG will continue to develop standards and ethics on methods of Dawah.
DEFINITION OF EXTREMISM
The Charity Commission adopts the definition of extremism used by the Government’s Prevent policy below. Where necessary we will seek guidance from the Commission on whether comments or behaviour are extremist. As there is no legal definition of extremism, Karimahs Cuisina reserves the right to make its own judgment using its understanding of Islam, or that of experts and scholars to decide whether comments or statements are extremist and to challenge the Commission’s interpretation, “Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also include in our definition of extremism calls for the death of members of our armed forces, whether in this country or overseas.”
Please see the following link
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protecting-charities-from-abuse-for-extremist-purposes