United Kingdom: mosques urged to strengthen security amid rise in anti-Muslim acts

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has published new security recommendations for mosques and Muslim community centers, amid a rise in hostile acts targeting Muslims. The document advises in particular those responsible for places of worship to organize containment exercises, improve video surveillance systems and strengthen their links with the police and local authorities. It also provides procedures to follow in the event of an incident, such as threats, damage or targeted attacks.

This initiative comes after several worrying events, including an attack on the home of an imam in Bolton and racist violence in Belfast. According to figures from the UK Home Office, recorded anti-Muslim acts in England and Wales increased from 2,690 to 3,199 between March 2024 and March 2025. The MCB is calling on its approximately 500 affiliated mosques to remain vigilant and prepare their communities to face possible new tensions. Its secretary general, Wajid Akhter, denounced the progression of an Islamophobic climate fueled, according to him, by certain political and media speeches and disinformation campaigns on social networks.

The organization also highlights the growing concern felt by many British Muslims, with some expressing an ongoing feeling of insecurity following recent violence targeting people, businesses and places of worship. Beyond physical protection measures, the framework published by the MCB encourages mosques to strengthen their links with their neighborhood, local elected officials, associations and representatives of other faiths. The objective is to promote a rapid and coordinated response in the event of an incident, but also to consolidate social cohesion in a context marked by increasing polarization of debates on immigration and minorities.

This alert from the Muslim Council of Great Britain illustrates a worrying development: mosques are now invited to adopt security measures comparable to those put in place for several years in other places of worship exposed to threats. The recommendation to organize containment exercises reflects the level of concern reached within British Muslim communities, who fear an increase in violence after several recent episodes of racial and Islamophobic tensions.