Far-Right Targets Mosques in Britain… Muslims Live in Great Anxiety
Muslims in Britain are living in great anxiety following acts of violence and demonstrations targeting mosques after the stabbing death of three girls in Southport, northwest England, last Monday during a concert by American star Taylor Swift, and the spread of unfounded rumors that the suspect was Muslim.
Riots erupted in English cities, with far-right elements being accused of being behind them. Anti-Islamic chants were heard during disturbances in Sunderland, northeast England, on Friday evening, and clashes occurred between police and demonstrators in front of a mosque in the city. The police confirmed that hundreds of supporters of the far-right “English Defence League” clashed with security forces last Tuesday evening and attacked a mosque in Southport, according to AFP.
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Zara Mohammed, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “The Muslim community is deeply concerned,” particularly with these planned gatherings across the United Kingdom specifically targeting mosques.
In London and other cities, police have increased their presence around mosques, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed a firm response to acts of “far-right extremist hatred.”
The Muslim Council of Britain held a security meeting on Thursday evening with mosque imams ahead of the weekend.
Zara Mohammed quoted one of the officials present as saying: “He received phone calls saying: ‘We will attack you’,” and added that others wondered if they should continue regular activities such as children’s classes, women’s meetings, and others.
She pointed out that some mosques cannot afford to hire security guards.
Riots continue in Britain, and British police were deployed yesterday in 11 cities in the north of the country to prevent any attacks or vandalism of public places.
British police announced early yesterday the arrest of eight people and the transfer of three of its officers to the hospital to treat injuries sustained during riots the day before yesterday in Sunderland, in the north of the country.
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The events began about a week ago when a teenager stabbed a group of children in Southport, near Liverpool, killing three children and injuring several others.
The far-right spread the rumor that the perpetrator of the stabbing was Muslim, and its supporters took to the streets and burned a mosque in Liverpool. Violent clashes occurred in Manchester with police and in several northern cities.
There were calls for the expulsion of Muslims and immigrants, as well as the killing of migrants arriving by boat. Despite the announcement that the perpetrator was not Muslim but a 17-year-old Rwandan, these calls persist.
