British government pledges to protect Muslims against Islamophobia

The British government has pledged to provide £117 million (approximately $150 million) to protect Muslim communities amid the escalating phenomenon of “Islamophobia” and promised further measures to address extremism.

The new funding, announced about a week after pledging additional funds to enhance security for Jewish groups, will be used to protect mosques, Islamic schools, and other community centers.

The monitoring group “Tell MAMA,” which tracks anti-Muslim incidents, reported a 335% increase in cases since the October 7 attack.

Home Secretary James Cleverly emphasized that “hatred against Muslims has no place in our society, and we will not allow events in the Middle East to be used as an excuse for violations against British Muslims.”

This announcement comes amid repeated accusations of Islamophobia among the ruling Conservatives led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who suspended a lawmaker last month after he said that London’s Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, was controlled by Islamists.

While Sunak stated that the comments were unacceptable, criticisms were made that neither he nor other ministers described them as racist or Islamophobic.

An earlier survey in February showed that 29% of Britons believe the Conservatives have an issue with “Islamophobia.”

Sunak warned last month that multicultural democracy in Britain is deliberately undermined by Islamist extremists and far-right groups.