Muslim Communities in US and UK Report Rising Fear Amid Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate

Muslim Communities in US and UK Report Rising Fear Amid Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate
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Muslim communities in the United States and Britain are reporting growing fear and insecurity amid a rise in anti-Muslim attacks, threats, and hate incidents targeting mosques, families, and individuals in public spaces.

In San Diego, a recent survey by the University of California San Diego’s Immigration Policy Center found that nearly 88 percent of Muslim respondents felt less safe after the deadly May 18 attack on an Islamic center. The sighting of a vehicle carrying a Nazi flag near the mosque further intensified trauma within the community.

Local Muslim leaders have called on California officials to allocate $20 million to improve physical security at 22 mosques, while activists say prevention also requires serious investment in combating the roots of religious hatred.

Similar concerns are growing in Britain, where Muslim leaders say anti-Muslim hostility has reached alarming levels since the 2024 Southport riots. The British Muslim Trust has documented attacks and threats across the country, including incidents targeting mosques, Muslim women, families, and political activists.

Official figures show anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales rose by 19 percent in the year to March 2025, while campaigners warn the real number is likely higher due to underreporting. In Scotland, Muslims accounted for nearly one-third of religious hate crime victims.