Second Scout volunteer suspended and more groups referred to police amid extremism concerns

The Scout Association has suspended a second volunteer and referred six more mosques to the police over extremism concerns following a Telegraph investigation.

Hussain Al-Rawni, who runs the 304th Birmingham Scout Group on behalf of the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), was placed under investigation after he was linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, which a 2014 Government report found has ‘consistently opposed programmes… to prevent terrorism”. Home Secretary Sajid Javid accused the MAB of “unacceptable views on extremism” last year.

The move comes after Ahammed Hussain, leader of the Lewisham Islamic Centre’s scout programme was suspended and referred to the police last week after a Telegraph investigation exposed safeguarding concerns.

Like the Lewisham mosque, Mr Al-Rawni’s group segregates groups according to gender - contrary to the Scouts’ own policy.

The 309th Birmingham group based at Green Lane mosque in London and the 466th Manchester group based at Khizra mosque also appear to flout the co-education policy.

The mosques have been referred to the police along with three others under investigation by the Scouts - the East London Mosque, which hosts the 8th East London LMC Scouts Group, the As-Suffa Institute, which hosts the 327th Birmingham Scout Group and the Cheadle Mosque hosts the 4th Heald Green CMA Scout Group.

Nikita Malik of the Henry Jackson Society told the Telegraph: “The MAB has been a long-time proponent of Islamism in the UK and should not be in a position to host a Scout group.

“Hussain Al-Rawni, its Scout leader in the UK, has a social media presence that propagates support for the network, and promotes dangerous terror-denying conspiracy theories and praises anti-Semitic organisations. This man should categorically not have access to children.”

A spokesman for the Scouts said: “The safety of our young people is our number one priority and we take all safeguarding allegations with the utmost seriousness.

"We are opposed to extremism in any form. As a result of this information we have suspended a volunteer and launched a full investigation. We are carrying out a thorough review of our rules and guidance on the appropriateness of Scout meeting places to give further clarity to our volunteers.”

The Muslim Association of Britain did not respond to a request for comment.