Transport for London (TfL) has been criticised for allowing adverts on tubes and buses that show a controversial Islamic preacher holding a briefcase full of burning US dollars.

The transport body, which is overseen by London mayor Sadiq Khan, has been urged to reconsider the decision to allow a series of billboards promoting Islamic finance startup Wahed, which tell commuters to “withdraw from exploitation”.

The adverts feature images of Muslim preacher and motivational speaker Ismail ibn Musa Menk, known as Mufti Menk, surrounded by flaming US dollar notes.

One poster featuring Mr Menk holding a silver briefcase of burning cash alongside text claiming that charging people interest to borrow money was once called “exploitation” and this practice had created a “massive wealth gap”.

In 2017, Mr Menk was banned from entering Singapore after the city state’s Ministry of Home Affairs accused him of promoting “segregationist and divisive teachings”. Mr Menk has also been banned from Denmark.

Majlisul Ulama Zimbabwe, an Islamic school with which Mr Menk is associated, has said the ban was “based on an inaccurate perception of one of his lectures” and insisted Mr Menk has “good relations with leaders and people of other faiths”.

In 2013, several UK universities cancelled the Muslim cleric’s tour after it emerged that he had preached that gay people were “worse than animals”. Mr Menk later retracted his anti-LGBT statements.

Susan Hall, a Conservative member of the London Assembly and former mayoral candidate, told GB News: “The Wahed advert on TfL services begs a lot of questions about the Mayor’s policing of advertising.

“If Wahed had wanted to advertise their platform with a high-calorie meal on the Tube, it would be banned, but apparently a preacher banned from other countries for promoting religious discord is fine.”

Ms Hall added: “We strongly urge TfL to reconsider the suitability of this advert, particularly when they so quickly clamp down on others.”

A decision to approve the Wahed adverts contrasts with TfL’s decision to ban adverts for comedian Ed Gamble’s tour for breaching its junk food rules.

In March, the Off Menu podcast host was forced to remove a picture of a hot dog from posters promoting his stand-up comedy tour because of the TFL’s advertising policy on advertising foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt.

Mr Gamble replaced the posters on the London Underground with ones that swapped the hot dog for a cucumber.

TfL was accused of censorship this year after blocking an advert that claimed social media was “killing Muslims”. Muzz Social, which describes itself as the world’s largest social media site for Muslims, attempted to run a number of ads featuring provocative statements including “Muslims have no place online” and “the algorithm hates Muslims”.

The campaign was blocked by TfL which said it was likely to cause “widespread or serious offence to reasonable members of the public”. Ayesha Malik, of Muzz Social, said at the time: “We’re not trying to offend people, we’re trying to raise awareness of an issue that millions of Muslims in the UK and across the world face.”

TfL last year also prohibited an advert for online artisan cheese shop Cheesegeek after deciding that the dairy product was too unhealthy.

In 2015, TfL also banned Protein World’s controversial weight loss adverts asking women if they were “beach body ready”, prompting Sadiq Khan to crackdown on ads encouraging negative body images.

A spokesman for TfL said: “This advert was reviewed and found to comply with our advertising policy, which reflects legal requirements. The Mayor has no involvement in approving or deciding which ads run on the TfL network.”

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “The Mayor is clear that there is no place for hate in London and he strongly condemns any language which divides London’s amazing diverse communities.”

Some of Wahed’s London billboards also feature Khabib Nurmagomedov, a Russian mixed martial artist who was the longest-reigning UFC lightweight champion. The fighter was previously gifted luxury cars and an honorary citizenship of Chechnya by its warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, a key ally to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Wahed is an online platform that allows savers to make investments that align with Islamic values. It does not invest in tobacco, alcohol, firearms, gambling or adult entertainment, and does not charge interest on deposits.

The New York-based fintech company, backed by Saudi Aramco and football player Paul Pogba, is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Wahed was contacted for comment.