UK mosques attacked once every five days in last year, amid rising Islamophobia

UK mosques attacked once every five days in last year, amid rising Islamophobia

Submitted by
MEE staff
on
Thu, 07/23/2026 - 10:18

More than 70 mosque attacks were recorded as Muslim communities struggled to access state security funding

People outside the East London Mosque in Tower Hamlets, London on 9 August 2024 (AFP/Henry Nicholls)

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A mosque is attacked in the UK every five days, new figures have revealed, as Muslim leaders accuse the government of failing to respond with sufficient urgency to rising Islamophobia.

The British Muslim Trust (BMT), the government’s partner for monitoring anti-Muslim hatred, recorded more than 70 attacks against mosques over the past year.

The incidents included violence, intimidation, vandalism, property damage, harassment, hate speech and online abuse.

London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands recorded the highest number of attacks. Nine separate incidents targeted mosques in London, while one mosque in Birmingham suffered three attacks within 12 months.

The figures reflect a broader rise in hostility towards Muslims. Home Office data shows that anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales increased by 19 percent in the year to March 2025 – from 2,690 offences recorded in the 12 months to March 2024 to 3,199 offences in the year ending March 2025.

“We are seeing a steady rise in the number of attacks against mosques, and we believe the government should be doing everything it can to help mosques protect themselves,” BMT chief executive Akeela Ahmed said.

The UK government has pledged up to £40m ($53m) for security at mosques, Muslim schools and community centres during 2026-27. Mosques can apply for CCTV, alarms, fencing and security personnel.

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However, the BMT said bureaucratic barriers, unexplained rejections of concerns and delays of up to 18 months have left vulnerable communities without protection. Government guidance requires applicants to provide strong evidence that they face a threat.

“A mosque is vulnerable purely because it’s a mosque. Currently, they’re waiting for months while living in fear of another attack because of the backlog. In many cases, police aren’t even responding to low-level incidents, leaving people frightened and vulnerable,” Ahmed said.

The warning follows a series of concerning incidents across the UK. In Northern Ireland, anti-Islam activists placed a replica mosque on a bonfire.

Earlier this month, a 14-year-old boy appeared in court over an offence linked to “extreme right-wing terrorism” after police uncovered a suspected plan to target two mosques in south London.

A recent BMT and British Future study also found that one in six Britons viewed the growing Muslim population as a “foundational threat to UK culture”.

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