‘Interfaith’ charity allowed to keep prestigious award despite JC antisemitism exposé

A charity whose officials shared content comparing Israel with Nazi Germany have been allowed to keep a prestigious volunteering award despite the JC shining the spotlight on the posts.

Building Bridges in Burnley (BBB) had been under investigation by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) after the JC revealed a series of offensive social media posts – including images of Holocaust inversion and the blood libel – by Mozaquir Ali and Bea Foster, two individuals involved in the charity.

A spokesperson for the department told the JC: "The promotion of antisemitic, extremist or terrorist views in charities is completely unacceptable”.

They added that following a “full investigation”, the department had “required Building Bridges in Burnley to ensure that both the individuals in question resign from their positions within the charity and to have no involvement with it for a period of three years. This has now happened.”

"Building Bridges in Burnley agreed to comply fully and has also given assurances that social media training for all trustees and members will take place, alongside a thorough review of all its existing policies”, they concluded.

The JC understands that BBB was required to assure DCMS that social media training and an audit of its associated policies would be undertaken by the organisation as a way of making sure there would be no repetition of similarly offensive posts by anyone representing it, which the group agreed to.

Foster had previously organised a protest outside the offices of Burnley’s then-MP Antony Higginbotham where she used props of dead babies.

Gordon Birtwistle (left) and Bea Foster (second left) protesting with fake dead babies outside the local MP's office.[Missing Credit]

And, in a Facebook post in February 2024, she shared an image that appeared to compare Israel with Nazi Germany and apartheid-era South Africa.

Facebook Post by Bea Foster[Missing Credit]

Meanwhile, Ali shared an image evoking the blood libel – a graphic of the Statue of Liberty holding a child draped in an Israeli flag who was drinking from a blood-filled bottle bearing a Palestinian flag.

He also shared an image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu morphing into Adolf Hitler with the caption “Adolf Netanyahu: Nazi Sionist” (Sic); a meme of the Israeli flag side by side with the Nazi flag in January 2024; and an image comparing Jewish prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp with a crowded checkpoint in the West Bank in December 2023.

[Missing Credit]

However, it has now emerged that the organisation has been allowed to keep the King’s Award for Voluntary Service – the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK and equivalent on an MBE. It was given last year for “promoting harmony and understanding across [communities of] all faiths and none”.

The decision not to strip the charity, set up in 2001 following race riots in the Lancashire town, of its award was met with displeasure and anger.

Russell Langer, Director of Public Affairs at the Jewish Leadership Council told the JC that: “At a time of rising antisemitism and inter-community tensions, it is more important than ever to be supporting the work of organisations which genuinely promote harmony and understanding.

He added: “Considering the clear failure of this charity to uphold this important principle, it is disappointing that the reward has not been rescinded.”

Meanwhile, the Conservative Party sought to attack the government for the leniency shown to BBB.

Stuart Andrew MP, shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport, described the images as “sickening and disturbing” and claimed that “Labour clearly do not understand the seriousness of the situation” and that they risk “sending the message that hate has no real consequences”.

"When officials at a charity are sharing antisemitic conspiracy theories and Nazi imagery, a slap on the wrist and ‘social media training’ simply won't cut it”, he added.

When the JC contacted BBB for comment, an image of Foster, Ali and other members of BBB was displayed prominently on the homepage of the organisation’s website.

Since then, the image has been removed and replaced with a photo of new trustees.

According to the organisation’s accounts on Companies House, Bea Foster resigned as a director on February 25, 20 days after the JC published its first report about BBB.

The charity is chaired by Afrasiab Anwar MBE, the leader of Burnley council who is also employed by Lancashire Country Council.

There is no evidence to suggest that Anwar himself has shared any offensive imagery on social media.

Anwar resigned as a Labour councillor in November 2023 in protest at Sir Keir Starmer’s stance on the conflict in Gaza along with ten other local candidates.

He leads the council with the backing of the Green Party and Liberal Democrats and has been extremely critical of the Israeli government.

Anwar has prominently featured the Palestinian cause in his electoral campaigns. During the local elections last year he shared photos of himself campaigning wearing a tracksuit in the colours of the Palestinian flag and Arabic writing.