London: In a controversial move, global private banking major HSBC has
closed a number of "risky" accounts belonging to Muslim groups and
individuals in the UK.HSBC has written to one of London's biggest mosques at Finsbury Park and other organisations, including an Islamic think tank, saying that to continue providing services would be outside the bank's "risk appetite".
It said decisions to close accounts were "absolutely not based on race or religion".
The bank's statement said, "We do not discuss relationships we may or may not have with a customer, nor confirm whether an individual or business is, or has been a customer.
Khalid Oumar, one of the trustees of Finsbury Park mosque, questioned the motives behind the letters.
"The letters that have been sent and the letters that we received do not give any reason why the accounts were closed in the first place," he said.
"That has led us to believe that the only reason this has happened is because of an Islamophobic campaign targeting Muslim charities in the UK," he added.
Until 2005, the mosque was run by Abu Hamza, who in May this year was convicted of terrorism offences in the US. Read full news
