Sermons delivered at the Al-Sunnah Mosque in Cheetham Hill, Manchester—attended by the perpetrator of a deadly synagogue attack and his accomplice—have come under scrutiny for containing inflammatory language targeting Jewish people, prompting an investigation by the Charity Commission.

The mosque, a registered charity, hosted sermons in April 2024 that were later posted on its official YouTube channel. These recordings featured statements invoking divine intervention against Jews and their allies. In one instance, the imam, believed to be Sheikh al-Dukali Muhammad al-Alim, prayed, “God deal with the Jews and their allies... God, seize them with the seizure of the Mighty, the Powerful.” In another, he called for victory against “those who disbelieve and those who transgress.” Following exposure of the content, the videos were removed from the platform.

The sermons gained heightened attention after security footage disclosed that two regular worshippers, Jihad al-Shamie and Mohammad Bashir, discussed themes of martyrdom and terrorism during their attendance. Shamie carried out a ramming and stabbing assault at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in October 2025, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The attack resulted in the deaths of two Jewish worshippers, Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, and ended when Shamie was fatally shot by armed police officers.

Bashir, aged 31, was convicted alongside Shamie for planning a separate attack targeting a UK military installation. He received a life sentence with a minimum term of 17 years after pleading guilty to preparing for terrorism.

Authorities were prompted to review the mosque’s activities after The Times alerted the Charity Commission to the contentious sermons. The Commission clarified that it is conducting an initial regulatory assessment rather than a formal statutory inquiry, which would grant it authority to impose sanctions such as freezing assets or suspending trustees if legal breaches are confirmed.

Fiyaz Mughal, a campaigner against extremism, condemned the appropriation of Islam to promote antisemitism and called on law enforcement to initiate a formal investigation. While the Charity Commission evaluates concerns related to registered charities, it does not have prosecutorial powers. Any allegations of criminality must be addressed by the police.

Counter Terrorism Policing North West declined to confirm whether an active investigation is underway, stating that such information could only be disclosed following a formal crime report or referral.

Repeated requests for comment from Al-Sunnah Mosque were not responded to. The investigation continues amid wider concerns about the mosque’s potential role in fostering extremist views.