MUSLIM LEADERS SAY ANTI-MUSLIM HATE CRIME HITTING NEW LEVELS IN UK

Muslim leaders across the United Kingdom report a sharp rise in anti-Muslim hatred, citing incidents including verbal threats, physical attacks and vandalism. Akeela Ahmed, head of the British Muslim Trust, documented dozens of reports whilst travelling across the country, including an account of a canvasser in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham being told by a householder that she should be hanged after confirming she was Muslim. Ahmed stated that the scale of anti-Muslim hatred had not properly registered with much of the public and political class. She said the violence being witnessed reminded her of racism experienced by her parents in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but described the current situation as another level entirely.

Official figures recorded by the Home Office suggest anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales rose by 19 per cent in the 12 months to March 2025. Ahmed's team documented 27 attacks against 25 mosques across 23 different parts of the country over a three-month period. An attack near a mosque in Edinburgh on the previous weekend resulted in five people being injured. A man has been charged with five counts of attempted murder aggravated by a terrorist connection. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told parliament that the attack appeared to have been motivated by anti-Muslim hatred.

Muslim leaders expressed frustration that the increase in attacks had not been matched by what they perceived as a coordinated institutional response. Broadcaster Mishal Husain questioned the level of initial press attention the Edinburgh attack received. Independent MP Shockat Adam asked Starmer at prime minister's questions why a Cobra meeting had not been convened. Ahmed and other Muslim leaders said ministers appeared hesitant in their response as the Reform party rose in polling, citing a fear of saying the wrong thing.