United Kingdom: an investigation into the failures of the protection system for mosques

A group of British parliamentarians has launched an inquiry into the government’s program to protect mosques. Despite an annual budget of up to 40 million pounds, several establishments report difficulties in accessing aid intended to secure their places of worship. Criticisms include waiting times of up to two years, unexplained refusals and a lack of transparency in the processing of requests. For those responsible for the mosques concerned, these obstacles delay the implementation of protection measures, while attacks targeting Muslim places of worship fuel concern.

Due to a lack of accessible funding within a reasonable time frame, some mosques use donations from worshipers to pay for their security. Communities must therefore finance protection themselves, for which public support is nevertheless provided. The survey should help to understand why aid is having difficulty reaching the establishments that request it. The parliamentarians wish in particular to examine the conditions of access to the program and the reasons for the delays, in order to shed light on the deficiencies denounced.