Muslim cleric resigns from ‘ineffective’ Council of Imams

A Muslim cleric has resigned from the Irish Council of Imams because of a lack of confidence in it.

Shaykh Dr Umar al-Qadri, imam of the Al-Mustafa Islamic Centre in Blanchardstown, Dublin, was a founding member of the council.

The council is "ineffective as a platform to discuss the concerns of the Muslim Community in Ireland", said a note on the centre's website.

"It has failed to discuss the most pressing issues and challenges of the growing Muslim Community in Ireland due to lack of accountability and transparency. After efforts of the Imam to revive the Council, which have unfortunately failed, the Imam has decided to resign from the Council."

Earlier this month, Dr Al-Qadri expressed concern at the growing interest being shown by extremist Islamic groups in the UK in trying to radicalise young Irish Muslims and recruit them. He said extremism was not yet a significant problem among Ireland’s estimated 60,000 Muslims, but the Irish Islamic community needed to be vigilant.