UK mosque ‘attacked every 5 days’

A mosque in the UK is being attacked every five days on average, statistics show, as a leading Muslim organization sounded the alarm over delays to pledged government security funding.

Some mosques are waiting “for months” for the promised funding despite the surge in Islamophobic incidents, the British Muslim Trust warned.

It documented 70 attacks at Muslim places of worship across the UK in the year leading to July, The Independent reported on Thursday. Incidents included vandalism, arson and intimidation.

The Home Office is responsible for disbursing the pledged £40 million ($53 million) security funding, but BMT CEO Akeela Ahmed said given the delays, this should be devolved to local areas, potentially via mayoral authorities.

The government is “working to process all applications as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson said.

Ahmed said: “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.”

Home Office guidance says mosques should apply for security measures if they have experienced or feel vulnerable to hate crime, or if there has been hate crime in the area toward other places of worship or their congregants.

Applicants that fail to “include strong evidence or do not explain the risk clearly are unlikely to be successful,” it warns, according to The Guardian.

Ahmed has previously urged ministers to drop these requirements for applying for protective security, arguing that it creates a significant barrier to support.

“Asking for evidence that you’re being targeted is the equivalent of shutting the stable door when the horse has bolted. A mosque is vulnerable purely because it’s a mosque,” she said.

“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.

“It is great that this funding and initiative exists, but we need to recognise that the momentum on attacks is building, and we need to react and prepare for this.

“Community members have described, in their own words, feeling ‘scared for their life’ and feeling the need to ‘protect themselves’ by staying at home in fear.

“We recommend exploring better ways to get the funding to mosques as smoothly as possible including that the fund is devolved in order to speed up its delivery, especially given recent events.”

Anti-Muslim hate crimes in England and Wales rose by almost one-fifth in the year ending March 2025, police-recorded figures show.

A Home Office spokesperson said in a statement: “Muslims in the UK face appalling levels of religious hate crime. It’s crucial that they not only are safe but feel safe.

“This government has increased funding for protective security at mosques, Muslim faith schools and community centres to record levels – up to £40 million in 2026/27.”