The Times today investigates the funding behind the disgraced Quilliam Foundation outfit. The Times uncovers facts which serve to confirm that the QF is little more than a Home Office-Foreign Office stooge created to do the government’s bidding.

The Times reveals that:

‘The [Quilliam] foundation has received £660,000 from the Home Office and £140,000 from the Foreign Office. The Home Office has earmarked an additional £100,000 for 2009-10.'

And that ‘sources close to the foundation said that it was expecting another £660,000 from the Foreign Office over this and next year. A Foreign Office spokesman said that any future payments depended on the foundation making “satisfactory progress”.'

One can only wonder what benchmark ‘satisfactory progress’ is measured against when ministers are quoted as themselves recognising that the QF has no credibility in the very community it is supposed to be working with.

Among the recommendations listed in QF’s launch document of April 2008 to combat violent extremism was this gem:

'Encourag[ing] students and imams to wear clothes that ensure belonging to mainstream society, and not Pakistani ethnic attire designed for a different climate.'

Taxpayers will no doubt be pleased that their hard earned cash is being spent on altering Muslims’ fashion sense.

The Times quotes a minister as saying:

‘Ed and Quilliam have very little support in the mainstream Muslim community.’

'They have much more enemies than friends. But he’s loved by some ministers, which is why his organisation is having so much money thrown at it. And the Government knows that if you want a Muslim to say pro-government things, then Quilliam is the answer.'
 

***ENGAGE obtains internal Quilliam memo to Advisors***

This morning at 10.32am, the QF sent an urgent memo to its Board of Advisors (who include the notorious neo-con Michael Gove). As it happens, ENGAGE has been sent a copy of this memo by a QF Advisor who is appalled at how the QF has been allowing itself to be used by the government and neo-conservative thinktanks to demonise mainstream Muslim organisations. Reading between the lines of the memo, the QF make clear that they will not be responding to the serious allegations in the Times. This will be interpreted by many as an admission that the facts in the Times story are broadly accurate.

If you would like to contact us and provide additional information about the Quilliam Foundation, you can do so in confidence via email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

See also Islamophobia Watch, 'Government gives £1m to Ed Husain'.