The publisher of the Times has today apologised in the High Court to Al-Khair Foundation, its Founder Imam Qasim and its Trustees over false allegations they
published about them in 2020. The Times has also published a full apology (see here) and paid £50,000 in libel damages, plus costs.


Al-Khair is a charity based in England with an international aid-delivery footprint
spanning more than sixty countries. Al-Khair is active in the areas of sanitation,
sustainability, education, shelter, healthcare and support for vulnerable people, in
addition to humanitarian and emergency relief. Imam Qasim is the founding trustee
and the Chairman of Al-Khair and is therefore widely associated with Al-Khair.


The claim arose from articles published on 10 December 2020 in the print edition of
the Times and on its website, which falsely alleged that Al-Khair had colluded with
criminal human traffickers who were assisting Somali migrants trying to reach
Europe from Turkey, thereby putting their lives at risk. This included an incident
which led to the deaths of a number of Somalis in the Mediterranean.


While the Articles did not refer to Imam Qasim expressly, given his widely-known
status as the founding Trustee of Al Khair, and its principal figurehead and public
face, The Times accepted that the Articles may have been understood by a large,
but unquantifiable, number of readers to refer to Imam Qasim and to impute to him
responsibility for the alleged activities which were the subject of the Articles.


In fact, as the Times has now accepted, the allegations were both defamatory and
wholly untrue. On the contrary, neither Al-Khair nor Imam Qasim have ever been
involved in, or provided any support for, the reprehensible and criminal activities
which were the subject of the Articles, and there is no basis whatsoever for
suspecting them of having done so.


In recognition of the falsity, and gravity, of the allegations against Al-Khair and Imam
Qasim, the Times joined in a Statement in Open Court today before Mr Justice
Johnson, withdrawing the false allegations and expressing a full apology to Al-Khair
and its Trustees, including Imam Qasim. A full apology has also been published on
the Times website, on the Times App, and prominently in the print edition of the
Times.


The Times has also paid £50,000 in libel damages to Al-Khair and Imam Qasim, as
well as paying their costs. Imam Qasim will be donating his damages to Al-Khair.

Al-Khair and its Trustees (including Imam Qasim) were represented by Adam Tudor
and Helena Shipman of Carter-Ruck, together with Khalid Sofi of Lee Bolton MonierWilliams.