Over 300 Mosques in the United Kingdom Await Security Funding Amid Rising Attacks<\/p>\n
Recent data reveal that hundreds of mosques in the United Kingdom are still waiting for government funding to enhance security measures, despite an increase in the budget allocated for securing mosques and Islamic centers. This has prompted calls for accelerating the processing of applications and reviewing the mechanisms of the security program.<\/p>\n
The data showed that 510 mosques applied to the “Protective Security for Mosques” program from July 2024 to November 2025, with only 199 mosques receiving support. Meanwhile, the applications of 311 mosques remain under review, without any formal rejections recorded during this period.<\/p>\n
The government program allocates approximately \u00a340 million annually to enhance the security of mosques and community centers through funding for surveillance cameras, alarm systems, fencing, gates, security services, and other protective measures.<\/p>\n
According to media reports, some mosques have waited up to two years for a decision on their applications, forcing some to use thousands of pounds from worshippers’ donations to cover security expenses themselves.<\/p>\n
The revelation of these numbers followed a nine-month effort to obtain the data, after the UK Home Office initially refused to release it, citing security concerns. It was only after a decision by the Information Commissioner’s Office that the data was disclosed.<\/p>\n
The waiting period has drawn criticism from lawmakers and Islamic leaders, who urged the government to expedite the decision-making process for the backlog of applications, emphasizing that protecting places of worship is a fundamental responsibility, especially amidst recorded attacks and hate incidents targeting mosques and worshippers across various parts of the country.<\/p>\n
The British Muslim Council called for an independent review of the program, arguing that its current mechanisms require urgent reform, given incidents that included attacks on worshippers, vandalism, racist graffiti, and threats targeting Islamic institutions and figures.<\/p>\n
Highlighted among the cases is a mosque in the Newham area of London, which applied for funding in August 2024 following a hate incident. However, its application remains under review despite a security assessment recommending reinforced doors and windows and the installation of emergency measures.<\/p>\n
Criticism has also been raised regarding certain eligibility requirements and conduct rules associated with the funding program, amid calls to ensure that regulatory processes do not become an obstacle to mosques at risk obtaining the necessary protection.<\/p>\n
In response, the UK Home Office affirmed that it is working to review all applications as swiftly as possible, while demands continue for resolving the funding requests of mosques that have been awaiting for months or years, amid growing concerns over the safety of worshippers and Islamic institutions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Over 300 Mosques in the United Kingdom Await Security Funding Amid Rising Attacks Recent data reveal that hundreds of mosques in the United Kingdom are still waiting for government funding to enhance security measures, despite an increase in the budget allocated for securing mosques and Islamic centers. This has prompted calls for accelerating the processing …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":144958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[2933],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-144959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-united-kingdom"],"yoast_head":"\n