One UK mosque attacked ‘every five days’, says British Muslim Trust

One mosque is attacked in Britain every five days, according to new data released by the government’s partner for monitoring anti-Muslim hatred.

More than 70 attacks on mosques in the UK have been recorded over the past year, which include acts of intimidation, violence, property damage, harassment, anti-Muslim hate speech, online abuse and vandalism.

The British Muslim Trust warned that momentum on attacks was building and called for an urgent response from the government.

The top three hotspots for attacks are London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. There have been nine separate mosque attacks in London, and one mosque in Birmingham has suffered three attacks in the last 12 months.

Data from the Home Office shows anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales rose by 19% in the 12 months to March 2025.

Akeela Ahmed, the chief executive of the British Muslim Trust, said: “We are seeing a steady rise in the number of attacks against mosques, and we believe the government should be doing everything it can to help mosques protect themselves.”

Earlier this year, the government announced it would provide up to £40m to mosques as part of the protective security for mosques scheme. The initiative would allow mosques to apply for funding for physical security measures such as CCTV, alarms, fencing and other security personnel services.

Home Office guidance says mosques should apply for “security measures” if they have experienced or feel vulnerable to hate crime, or if there has been hate crime in the area towards other places of worship or their congregants. The guidance warns applications that “do not include strong evidence or do not explain the risk clearly are unlikely to be successful”.

Ahmed has previously urged ministers to drop these requirements for applying for protective security, saying it created a significant barrier to support.

The British Muslim Trust said mosques applying for funding have found the scheme to be difficult to access, with some waiting up to 18 months to receive funding. The monitoring group added that not only was there a backlog, but that many were being denied funding without explanation.

“A mosque is vulnerable purely because it’s a mosque. Currently, they’re waiting for months while living in fear of another attack because of the backlog. In many cases, police aren’t even responding to low-level incidents, leaving people frightened and vulnerable,” Ahmed said.

“It is great that this funding and initiative exists, but we need to recognise that the momentum on attacks is building, and we need to react and prepare for this.”

Ahmed added: “We recommend exploring better ways to get the funding to mosques as smoothly as possible including that the fund is devolved in order to speed up its delivery, especially given recent events.”

Last month, a study by the British Muslim Trust and British Future found that one in six Britons believe the growth of the Muslim population “poses a foundational threat to UK culture”, raising alarm that hostile attitudes towards Muslims are being normalised.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Muslims in the UK face appalling levels of religious hate crime. It’s crucial that they not only are safe but feel safe.

“This government has increased funding for protective security at mosques, Muslim faith schools and community centres to record levels – up to £40m in 2026-27.

“We are working to process all applications as quickly as possible.”