School vice-principal caught up in Clonskeagh Mosque ‘power struggle’ awarded €40,000

A school vice-principal in Dublin has been awarded €40,000 in compensation after claiming he was constructively dismissed due to being entangled in a "power struggle" within the administration of the Clonskeagh Mosque. Noureldin Abdelgawwad, who worked for the Al Maktoum Foundation CLG, the operator of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland, left his role after nearly 14 years of employment, citing severe breaches of trust, professional interference, and mistreatment.

Abdelgawwad's case was brought before the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) last year, where he detailed how tensions escalated following the death of the Al Maktoum Foundation’s founder and the installation of a new board. He claimed that the situation led to a public rupture within the organization, which reached a critical point in April 2024. According to Abdelgawwad, issues began to surface in the autumn of 2024 when his salary was withheld and redirected for purposes other than his employment.

The school, which provides supplementary education in Islamic studies and the Arabic language to both children and adults, is situated adjacent to Ireland’s largest mosque on Roebuck Road in Clonskeagh. The institution had previously accepted cash payments, but new financial policies implemented by the cultural center prohibited such transactions. Abdelgawwad stated that there was a delay in reconciling receipts with school expenses, as the management requested that receipts be held back due to their financial challenges.

A significant conflict emerged in January regarding the control of a school database system that Abdelgawwad had established. He and the principal resisted transferring the personal data of students and their parents to the new board, as directed by CEO Ahmed Hasain. Most of the board members were based in the United Arab Emirates, and Abdelgawwad felt that sharing this information could violate the families' data rights.

According to the tribunal, Abdelgawwad faced repeated pressure from Hasain to surrender the data, leading to threatening and unprofessional communication. Salary delays occurred again in March 2025, prompting Abdelgawwad to resign on April 9th, 2025. The adjudicator, Penelope McGrath, noted that there was a complete breakdown in trust between Abdelgawwad and the board, which had sought to undermine and marginalize him in pursuit of an unclear goal.

McGrath emphasized that it was unreasonable to expect Abdelgawwad to continue working under such conditions after serving for approximately 14 to 15 years. She acknowledged that Abdelgawwad returned to part-time work at another Islamic school, where he earns significantly less than he did in his previous full-time position. In addition to the €40,000 awarded for financial loss due to constructive dismissal, she also granted an additional €1,000 under the Payment of Wages Act, 1991.

The case highlights the complexities surrounding the governance of religious institutions and the potential conflicts that can arise when leadership changes occur. The Al Maktoum Foundation CLG faces scrutiny over its internal management practices and the impact of external pressures on its operations. As the situation unfolds, attention will likely shift towards whether the foundation will appeal the ruling and how it plans to address the concerns raised during the tribunal proceedings.