AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A cross-party group of MPs has invited mosques, Islamic centres and Muslim religious schools across England to share their experiences of security threats and the process of applying for government assistance. The inquiry aims to identify shortcomings in the scheme and explore ways to improve its operation. The deadline for submissions is November 22.
The UK Home Office allocates up to £40 million annually to help protect mosques, Muslim community centres and religious schools against hate crime. However, reports suggest that some institutions have waited as long as two years for their applications to be processed. In some cases, applicants whose requests were rejected reportedly received little or no clear explanation for the decisions.
Andrew Pakes, an MP and co-chair of the parliamentary group, said many mosques were struggling to access security support or were unsure how to navigate the application process.
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, the group's other co-chair, said the inquiry would provide a comprehensive assessment of the government scheme and examine how Muslim communities and worshippers could be protected more effectively.
The Muslim Council of Britain has also called for substantial reforms, stressing that concerns about the scheme have persisted for years.
Some mosques have reportedly had applications rejected under guidelines published only hours before decisions were made. Other Islamic centres have been forced to spend thousands of pounds from community donations to cover security costs.
The inquiry is expected to examine how funding is allocated, how many applications are approved or rejected, and how long authorities take to process requests. Its findings could help identify changes needed to make the scheme more transparent and ensure that vulnerable Muslim institutions can access security assistance in a timely manner.
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