Concern over mosque safety: British Muslims call for increase to govt security grant

Leaders from Muslim faith organizations across the UK are calling on the government to increase funding to protect the millions of Muslims in the country.

Leaders from Muslim faith organizations across the UK are calling on the government to increase funding to protect the millions of Muslims in the country.

In July, mosques will be able to apply for a grant from a pot of £5 million, which is available for all faiths over a three-year period, but British Muslim leaders have said this is not enough.

They would like to see the government pledge £14m to an organization in order to match the Home Office’s monetary support of Jewish Group Community Support Trust (CST).

The call to the government comes after mosques across the UK were forced to increase security in light of heightened attacks on the places of worship after the Christchurch terror attacks in New Zealand, which saw 51 Muslims murdered by a far-right extremist.

Concern for the safety of Muslims has increased as hate crime soared after recent terror attacks.

According to the charity TellMama, the UK witnessed a 593% increase in recorded levels of Islamaphobia just a week after the Christchurch terror attack.

 It included verbal hate crime, but also physical abuse and attacks on mosques.