AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Coinciding with the beginning of Islamophobia Awareness Month in Britain, Abdullah Saif, the executive director of the Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND) organization in Britain, in a note warned about the spread of Islamophobia and the British government's failure to contain it. Citing official statistics and social research, he wrote that the Muslims of this country live in a more hostile social and political atmosphere than before.
Increase in hate crimes and attacks on Islamic centers
According to the latest statistics from the British Home Office, Muslims have been the target of 45 percent of all recorded crimes with a religious hatred motive. Also, excluding the data of London's Metropolitan Police, the number of hate crimes against Muslims in the year ending March 2026 reached its highest level since this data began being recorded in 2018. Another study also shows that more than half of the Muslims participating in a survey have experienced Islamophobic discrimination.
This report also refers to the increase in attacks against Islamic centers; in a way that, according to data published by the Muslim Foundation of Britain, between 2025 and 2026, an Islamic center in this country was targeted by an attack almost every five days. The author emphasizes that these statistics are not merely statistical figures but indicate the spread of insecurity and fear among Muslims and the escalation of social divisions.
From neo-Nazi threats to setting fire to a mosque
In another part of this note, reference is made to the warning of the British intelligence agency (MI5) about the spread of far-right extremist threats. Ken McCallum, the director-general of this organization, announced on October 13 that cases of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim views turning into "terrorist intent" were the most prominent security trend of the past year, and the increase in the level of terrorist threat to the "severe and high-risk" status has largely stemmed from far-right extremist activities.
Among the mentioned examples is the plan of a 16-year-old neo-Nazi in January 2025 to set fire to the Inverclyde Islamic Center in the town of Greenock and trap worshippers inside it. The police, upon receiving information, arrested this teenager before the plan was carried out. Also, on October 4, 2025, two masked men, by pouring flammable material at the entrance of the Peacehaven mosque in East Sussex, set it on fire; at that time, two worshippers were present inside the mosque, both of whom survived the incident.
The role of political currents and the far-right in fueling Islamophobia
The author believes that the attacks against Muslims did not form in a vacuum and expanded in a political atmosphere in which far-right figures and some politicians have contributed to the normalization of anti-Muslim rhetoric. In this regard, reference is made to the "Kingdom Alliance" rally in September 2025 organized by Tommy Robinson, a far-right extremist activist; a rally in which conspiracy theories and humiliating remarks against Muslims were raised. Valentina Gomez, an American far-right media figure of Colombian origin, also at this gathering, by raising violent claims, presented Muslims as a threat to British society.
Further, the positions of Nigel Farage, the leader of the "Reform UK" party, regarding Muslims' loyalty to this country are criticized. The report also refers to the findings of an ITV network media investigation about the existence of institutionalized Islamophobia in the Reform party and the far-right "Restore" current. On the other hand, Suella Braverman, the former British home secretary, in November 2023 had attributed the solidarity marches with the people of Gaza to groups that, according to her, were "especially Islamists"; while these gatherings were held with the extensive presence of non-Muslims, including anti-war groups and Jewish activists opposed to Zionism.
Islamophobia's ties with Israeli networks and institutions
This note also refers to the connection of some British far-right currents with international networks. According to the report, Tommy Robinson has enjoyed the support of pro-Israel far-right networks and met with Trump administration officials during his trip to America. He had stated that the purpose of this trip was to create unity and friendship and to warn about Islam. Also, Amichai Chikli, Israel's minister of diaspora affairs, praised the "Kingdom Alliance" rally and a few weeks later hosted Robinson in Israel. The author describes these positions as part of a broader effort to exploit Europeans' concerns about Islam.
In the final part of the report, criticizing the British government's insufficient response, reference is made to the drafting of a new definition of "anti-Muslim hostility" which, according to the author, is a weakened text due to the exclusion of the term Islamophobia. Also, the appointment of the government's adviser on combating anti-Muslim hostility, seven months after the initial promise, is still delayed. The author calls for a comprehensive investigation into Islamophobia and reminds that, according to a survey, 61 percent of the British people support the government's action to confront this phenomenon.
In conclusion, the author emphasizes the necessity of reporting all cases of discrimination, public education to confront religious hatred, and cooperation among different communities. Referring to the plan of three neo-Nazis to attack Islamic centers in Leeds and their plan to attack synagogues, he warns that hatred against Muslims can also threaten other religious groups. In his view, confronting Islamophobia requires the organized participation of Muslims, the companionship of other segments of society, and serious and practical actions by the government.
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