Question
Musjids in U.K. are charging membership fees on the basis of ethnicity. Nearly all Gujarati (Indian) Musjid Organisations have a system of membership. Gujarati families are required to become a member of the local Musjid.
The Trustees and the Management Committees decide whom to take as member. In most cases Pakistani residents are not allowed to become members, but their children are admitted in the Madrasahs and charged double fees. The Pakistani families have no choice but to send their children to our Madrasahs as Gujarati Madrasahs have a better system of Deeni education.
In a Gujarati family once a boy turns 18 years, he has to become a member. If not, then if he is married and has children of Madrasah age he will be first asked to become a member or his children will not be admitted.
A Gujarati boy who gets married and wants his child to be admitted  and he is, say 23 years old, then he is asked to pay 5 years arrear fees.
Nikah and Janaza are also done in accordance with their membership and even if a member of the family pays a fee for the service, the imaam also is paid a fee for all nikahs he performs. Is this system permissible in the Shariah?

Answer
The facilities of a Musjid are free for all Musallis. The membership fees are in emulation of kuffaar who have such fees for members of their temples. The double fees for Madrasah teaching is haraam. There is no valid Shar’i basis for this discrimination based on ethnicity. While lower fees and no fees are permissible on the basis of poverty and low income, double fees on the basis of ethnicity are haraam.
There is no Shar’i validity for becoming a member at the age of 18 or any other age. The membership itself is impermissible. Denying children Waajib Deeni ta’leem merely because their parents are not members is zulm and haraam. Denying ta’leem because of parents unable to pay fees or not willing to pay, is also haraam. Qur’aanic ta’leem may not be withheld from children or from adults on the basis of non-payment of fees.
The ‘arrear’ fees are aggravated zulm and haraam. This is really ridiculous zulm. Paying the imam for performing Janaazah Salaat is haraam.