A preacher at a London mosque that has received an official warning about encouraging support for Hamas praised Iran’s former supreme leader as a champion of “the oppressed”, The i Paper can reveal.
The imam at the Mosque and Islamic Centre of Brent, in Cricklewood, north London, hailed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – who was killed in a US-Israeli strike on Tehran along with family members and senior regime officials – as a “brave” man who defended the Muslim community.
The comments were made despite Khamenei’s regime killing thousands of anti-government protesters earlier this year and supporting militant groups across the Middle East.
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On 28 February, following reports of Khamenei’s death, the mosque imam announced the news by telling worshippers: “The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei has passed away.”
He went on: “This might be controversial, but the truth is he stood up for the truth and for the oppressed ones.
“When many were silent he stood up. It is obligatory upon us to pray for the ones who defend the ummah [global Muslim community].
“He, in a very brave manner, specifically for the Muslims of Gaza, supported them, spoke in their favour.
“In this current time, just speaking in favour of the people of Gaza is a great act. Just speaking in their favour is a very, very tremendous act, so anyone who is able to do that, we commend them and we salute them and we pray for them”.
Footage of the sermon was posted on the mosque’s YouTube account, but was removed after The i Paper contacted the mosque – which has charitable status.
The praise for Khamenei and the claim he “stood up” for “oppressed ones” is controversial given the regime’s repressive actions and support for armed groups in the region.
Protesters in Pounak Square in Tehran in January this year as part of the biggest demonstrations against the Islamic republic in more than three years. The regime’s crackdown left thousands dead (Photo: UGC/AFP)
Anti-government demonstrations by Iranian citizens in December and January were crushed with brutal massacres. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency confirmed the deaths of more than 6,800 civilians, including 236 children, but there have been suggestions that the total death toll could have been more than 30,000.
For years, Khamenei’s regime has also been responsible for providing money, weapons and training for militants across the Middle East, including Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are classed as terrorist groups in the UK.
After the 86-year-old supreme leader’s death – who was also a leading religious authority among Shia Muslims globally – the Defence Secretary, John Healey, had said: “Few people will mourn the Ayatollah’s death, not least the families and friends of the thousands of protesters murdered on the streets of Iranian cities.
“Iran and the regime he’s led for so long, it’s a source of evil – murdering its own citizens and sponsoring and exporting terror.”
Responding to the comments at the mosque, Chris Philp, the Conservative shadow Home Secretary, told The i Paper: “Praising the brutal and oppressive Ayatollah Khamenei is a disgusting affront to British values and our social fabric. The Iranian regime has sponsored terrorism across the global, suppressed its own people, and spread extremism far beyond its borders. Presenting him as a defender of the oppressed is a grotesque distortion.”
Previous warning for ‘inflammatory and divisive’ speeches
It is not the first time controversial statements have been made from the mosque. Last June, it received an official warning from the Charity Commission for “inflammatory and divisive” speeches, including two containing content which the watchdog said “could reasonably be interpreted as encouraging support of Hamas”.
A preacher – Sheikh Babikir Ahmed Babikir – had said that any Muslim who opposed Hamas was a “hypocrite” and compared the proscribed organisation with anti-apartheid South African leader Nelson Mandela. He also claimed that Zionists were plotting to “control the world” by manipulating banks, media organisations and regimes and were in league with an evil false prophet in Islamic theology comparable to the Antichrist.
At the time, Babikir said he “vehemently” disagreed with the notion that his comments were antisemitic and that for “decades” he had “emphasised the essence of brotherhood, transcending the bounds of blood ties, encompassing the Islamic and Abrahamic faiths”. On Hamas, he said he had not made an “endorsement of their political designation”.
Babikir was not the speaker who made the comments about Khamenei, but he continues to preach at the mosque.
The Charity Commission has previously had concerns about the governance of the charity. After Babikir’s sermons, the watchdog said that the charity did not have effective policies in place to manage risks relating to speakers.
The i Paper has also seen a letter which the commission sent to the mosque on 26 November, 2025, warning that it had not provided the necessary evidence to show it had complied with the watchdog’s “rectification” requirements. The commission notified the charity that it would be subject to a further monitoring visit, due in May this year.
The i Paper understands the Charity Commission is assessing the comments about Khamenei to determine if there is a regulatory role for it.
The commission can open statutory inquiries into charities and has a range of powers at its disposal, such as freezing bank accounts and appointing or removing trustees.
The Mosque and Islamic Centre of Brent told The i Paper: “Any comments made during sermons or lectures at the Mosque and Islamic Centre of Brent are delivered in a personal capacity by speakers and should not be taken as official statements of the mosque unless expressly stated otherwise.”
It added: “The Mosque and Islamic Centre of Brent is a registered charity and remains firmly committed to its legal and regulatory obligations, including those set by the Charity Commission. We take these responsibilities seriously and continue to engage constructively with the commission to ensure full compliance with all governance and safeguarding requirements.
“We do not support or endorse violence, extremism, or unlawful activity of any kind. Our institution serves a diverse community and is dedicated to promoting community cohesion, lawful expression, and respectful dialogue.”