This Foundation was established in the month of Rajab 13-1415AH, to coincide with the birth of Amir al Mu’mineen, Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (as), in 1994.
The centre is under the leadership of Sayyid Murtadha al Kashmiri, who is the special representative of Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Ali al Sistani, who is the supreme Marja of Shia Muslims all over the world. Being the special representative of Ayatullah Sayyid Sistani, Sayyid Murtadha al Kashmiri represents the Office of grand Marja in most countries of Europe and North America.
Imam Ali Foundation as the main office in London has been doing a lot of different activities including;
Giving general Islamic guidance to the Muslim community in UK, Europe and North America
Answering Islamic questions on different subjects on behalf of Sayyid Sistani, in many languages like English, French, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu etc. This work has been done by specialist scholars on the fields.
Providing library services for the Muslim community in London.
Distribution of Islamic books to different libraries as well as to the scholars, students, different organization and the public in general
Family section, a very important section within the office which deals with different issues on daily basis. The family section is divided on three main parts; part one deal with issues to do with marriages; where marriages are conducted by scholars. The second part deals with the issues of reconciliations between the families and the third part deals with different issues to do with divorce. It is only in this office where grand Ayatullah Sayyid Sistani has given his permission to perform the divorce in some rare cases. There is a secretariat of committee of scholars who meet every week to discuss and review different issues to do with family.
Weekly spiritual and educational programs are taken place in the office, where different scholars deliver their speeches to different audience of people who attend.
Seasonal spiritual and educational programs like in the month of holy month of Ramadhan and Muharram, where high quality of ulama speakers give their lectures to the wide community.
Seminars and conference, the office conducts different seminars and conferences on different themes, like the famous conference of Imam Sadiq (as).
Tabligh section deals with propagation of school of Ahlulbayt in different ways and methods. This section caters with the highest demand of different centres in UK, Europe and North America by sending scholars and qualified muballighina to fulfill the need of people in those areas throughout the year, and specifically during the holy month of Ramadhan and Muharram. The office facilitates the scholars and muballighina in different capacities.
Imam Ali Foundation has other branches in United Kingdom in different cities like Cardiff, Hull, Birmingham and Liverpool.
There are other many branches in different cities of European countries like in Germany, Belgium, France, Denmark and Holland. All the activities which take places in those different offices and in different cities and countries are under the head of Sayyid Murtadha al Kashmiri, who has got a direct connection with the grand Ayatullah Sayyid Sistani, being his representative in Europe and North America.[۱]
[۱]. http://najaf.org/english/-479