Mosque helped appoint police chief amid football anti‑Semitism row

Green Lane mosque's then chief executive was on the panel that helped appoint the West Midlands chief constable three years ago, and the force has come under scrutiny after recommending a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a November match.

A Birmingham mosque's involvement in a senior police appointment has become part of wider scrutiny over a decision to recommend banning Israeli football supporters from a match in the city. Documents reported by The Times show Kamran Hussain, then chief executive of Green Lane mosque, was one of the people on the interview panels when Craig Guildford was appointed chief constable in December 2022. The West Midlands Police decision to recommend banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an Europa League fixture in November has prompted political and public attention because the intelligence cited has been questioned. Key details: - Documents obtained under a Freedom of Information request reported that Kamran Hussain, the then chief executive of Green Lane mosque, was on an interview panel involved in the appointment process for the West Midlands chief constable. - The force recommended banning Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from the November 6 match, citing intelligence about past hooliganism; that intelligence has since been questioned in public reporting. - Craig Guildford told a parliamentary committee that officers "undertook extensive community engagement prior to the fixture," including with Muslim community leaders and mosque representatives. - Green Lane mosque previously had £2 million of government funding suspended in 2023 after videos of a preacher emerged; the mosque said the clip was misleading, rejected violent extremism and hate crime, and emphasised respect between communities. - The mosque livestreamed a sermon in which an imam discussed physical discipline within marriage; the mosque said sections had been taken out of context and that it rejects harm, coercion and abuse. - A report by His Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary, Sir Andy Cooke, is expected to be handed to the Home Secretary as early as this week, and the Home Office said it will await those findings before commenting further. Summary: The reported connection between Green Lane mosque and the appointment process has been noted as part of broader scrutiny of the decision to recommend the November fan ban, and politicians and members of the public have raised questions about transparency and community engagement. The chief inspector's report is expected to be delivered to the Home Secretary soon and may be shared with Parliament.