AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The British Muslim Trust (BMT), the government’s partner organization in monitoring Islamophobia, has reported a sharp surge in attacks on mosques across the United Kingdom in recent months, revealing that more than 40 percent of these incidents featured British or English flags and Christian nationalist symbols or slogans.
According to the foundation’s data, between July and October this year, 25 mosques across the country were targeted in a total of 27 attacks, more than a quarter of which were violent or destructive in nature. Some of the reported incidents included stone-throwing, a mosque window being shot with an air gun in the presence of children, an arson attack on a mosque in East Sussex, and windows smashed with a metal pole in Glasgow. Three mosques were attacked multiple times.
The BMT’s report, titled “Summer of Division,” noted that slogans such as “Christ is King” or “Jesus is King” were frequently seen during these assaults, indicating that far-right groups have been exploiting religious language and symbols to stoke anti-Muslim sentiment.
The BMT, which was formally appointed by the government in July to monitor anti-Muslim hate, stated that the number of attacks rose from one in July to eight in August, nine in September, and another nine in October. The report emphasized that since August, the nature of these incidents has shifted from isolated acts of vandalism to coordinated and repeated operations, reflecting a sustained escalation in both intensity and organization.
The Trust also linked the rise in attacks to nationalist campaigns such as “Raise the Flags,” warning that such movements have normalized anti-Muslim behavior at the local level.
Akilah Ahmed, Executive Director of the British Muslim Trust, said, “The evidence is undeniable; anti-Muslim hatred in Britain has grown in both scale and intensity, and mosques are being targeted at an alarming rate. This report should serve as a serious wake-up call for the government, as the situation has worsened and urgent corrective action is needed.”
The foundation called on government agencies to establish rapid response mechanisms and strengthen security support for mosques, while streamlining the process for accessing security funding.
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