Charities sever ties with Cage over Emwazi links

Two charities have agreed to no longer fund the controversial advocacy group Cage, which has faced questions over its links to Mohammed Emwazi, the Briton identified as Islamic State killer ‘Jihadi John’. The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust joined the Roddick Foundation in agreeing not to give any more money to Cage, despite its initial reluctance to go that far.

The commission said it was acting on concerns it held before the revelations relating to Emwazi and that its unease had been exacerbated by Cage’s response to media questioning over its links to the west Londoner. In a press conference after reports that he had been identified first surfaced, Cage’s Asim Qureshi said it had been in regular contact with Emwazi in the past.

It was keen to point out the role of the British security services in his radicalisation and reluctant to directly and explicitly condemn his actions.

Speaking after it emerged that the charities had agreed to sever their ties, a Cage spokesman said they respected the decision. Amandla Thomas-Johnson said: “We thank them for their past support. Both of these charities have played a significant role in contributing to the development of Muslim civil society here in the UK.”

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