Record Funding for Mosque Security Amid Rising Hate Crimes in the UK
According to an article by The Guardian on October 20, the UK government has allocated £3 million for mosque security amid rising anti-Muslim hate crimes, but many mosques remain unaware of available funding opportunities.
In response to a surge in anti-Muslim incidents, the UK government has allocated a record £3 million in security funding for mosques through the Places of Worship Security Scheme, reflecting a significant increase from previous years.
According to data obtained by the Guardian, the funding issued from April 2022 to April 2023 marks a dramatic rise from just over £73,000 allocated between 2016 and 2017. The number of applications from Muslim community sites has also skyrocketed, climbing from 36 in 2016 to 304 in the past year. However, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) warns that this funding does not adequately address the growing challenges faced by these communities, particularly following the rise in Islamophobia linked to recent global events.
Tell Mama UK reported a staggering 4,971 incidents of anti-Muslim hate between October 2023 and September 2024, the highest total in 14 years. Despite the substantial funding, the MCB noted that only a small fraction of the estimated 2,000 mosques in the UK applied for security measures. Many mosques remain unaware of available funding opportunities, citing insufficient outreach and barriers in the application process as significant hurdles.
Zara Mohammed, general secretary of the MCB, called for a comprehensive review of the scheme to better understand the low engagement and assess whether current funding levels are sufficient. The government has previously launched protective security initiatives for both Muslim and Jewish communities, with funding amounts reflecting the size of each community.
As concerns over safety grow, community leaders emphasize the urgent need for enhanced security measures. The Home Office has acknowledged the importance of ensuring that every community feels safe in their places of worship, recently implementing additional security measures in response to public disorder incidents.
