Elham Asaad Buaras
Mosques across the UK are being forced to wait months for security funding designed to protect them from anti-Muslim attacks, despite places of worship now being targeted at a rate of around one every five days, according to new figures and evidence gathered by The Muslim News.
The British Muslim Trust (BMT), the organisation appointed to monitor anti-Muslim hatred, said it recorded more than 70 attacks against Muslim places of worship across the UK in the 12 months to July 2026 – the equivalent of roughly one attack every five days.
The incidents included violence, intimidation, vandalism, harassment, property damage, arson, hate speech and online abuse. London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands recorded the highest number of attacks, with nine incidents in London alone, while one mosque in Birmingham was targeted three times within a year.
The charity said some mosques targeted by attacks were still waiting for support through the Government’s £40 million Protective Security for Mosques Scheme because of a backlog in processing applications.
BMT Chief Executive Akeela Ahmed said communities were being left waiting for vital security measures while fearing further attacks.
“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.
“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.”
A mosque is vulnerable purely because it’s a mosque.
— Akeela Ahmed, Chief Executive, British Muslim Trust
The Government’s scheme provides protective measures including CCTV, intruder alarms, secure perimeter fencing and security personnel services for mosques and associated Muslim community centres. Support is also available for Muslim faith schools.
Ahmed argued that the application process itself was preventing vulnerable mosques from accessing protection, criticising the requirement for communities to demonstrate they were being targeted before receiving support.
“Asking for evidence that you’re being targeted is the equivalent of shutting the stable door when the horse has bolted.
“A mosque is vulnerable purely because it’s a mosque.”
While welcoming the existence of the scheme, she warned that delays risked undermining its purpose.
“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 that community members had described feeling “scared for their life” and the need to “protect themselves” by staying at home in fear.
The BMT has called for changes to the way the scheme is administered, including exploring whether funding could be devolved to local areas, potentially through mayoral authorities, to speed up delivery.
“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,” Ahmed said.
The concerns have also been raised in Parliament. Labour MP Gareth Thomas has written to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper warning that the scheme is failing vulnerable communities after a mosque in his Harrow West constituency had its application for security funding rejected without a clear explanation.In his letter, Thomas said the mosque received “no indication of the steps that would be required to address the concerns raised and submit a successful application in the future.”
He said the case was not isolated, citing BMT findings that some mosques had waited up to 18 months for decisions or funding while others had their applications refused with little justification. He argued that the scheme’s evidential requirements were creating “significant barriers for vulnerable institutions seeking support.”
With mosques in Harrow already expressing concerns about the threat of attack, Thomas said it was essential that support schemes were “accessible, transparent and responsive” and has requested a meeting with the Home Secretary to discuss potential reforms.
The BMT said such delays were particularly worrying given the continued targeting of Muslim places of worship and rising concerns over anti-Muslim extremism.
Among the incidents recorded over the past year was an arson attack on Peacehaven Mosque in East Sussex in October 2025, when two masked individuals approached the entrance, sprayed accelerant on the front door and set it alight. Two people inside the building escaped without injury. In May this year, Ricky Ryder, 38, of Seaford, pleaded guilty to arson reckless as to whether life was endangered, while co-defendant Jack Slowey, 34, of Peacehaven, denied all charges.
A case management hearing is due in October ahead of a trial later this year, and three other people have previously been arrested in connection with the incident.
Other incidents included an attack in Bristol where bacon was left outside a mosque during Friday prayers during the first week of Ramadan, and another in Sheffield where rats were released outside a mosque. The BMT also recorded cases of online abuse in which communities that shared reports of attacks on social media were themselves subjected to death threats and messages encouraging further attacks.
Outside the BMT’s annual figures, concern has also been fuelled by other recent incidents, including a replica mosque being placed on top of a bonfire in Northern Ireland and the alleged far-right plot uncovered earlier this month in which a 14-year-old boy appeared in court charged with an offence linked to extreme right-wing terrorism after police said they uncovered plans to target two mosques in south London.
Responding to questions from The Muslim News, a Home Office spokesperson said the Government recognised the threat facing Muslim communities and had increased protective security funding to record levels.“Muslims in the UK face appalling levels of religious hate crime. It’s crucial that they not only are safe but feel safe.
“Since the election, we have increased funding for protective security at mosques, Muslim faith schools and community centres to record levels – up to £40 million in 2026/27.
“We are working to process all applications as quickly as possible.”
The Home Office said up to £77.4 million had been made available in 2026/27 for protective security schemes for faith communities, including up to £40 million for Muslim communities. It added that changes were being introduced to speed up the processing of applications to the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme and highlighted the recently launched Faith Security Training Scheme to help places of worship strengthen their security preparedness.
“The Home Office is implementing a number of changes in order to speed up the processing of applications to the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme.
“The team are working at pace to progress sites as quickly as possible.”
However, the department did not answer several questions put by The Muslim News, including how many applications had been received, approved, rejected or remained awaiting a decision. It also declined to provide the average waiting time for applications, the number currently affected by delays or the size of any backlog.
Nor did it say whether it would consider devolving administration of the scheme to local or regional authorities or review the requirement for mosques to provide evidence that they had been targeted before becoming eligible for funding.
The latest Home Office figures show anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales rose by almost a fifth, increasing from 2,690 offences in the year ending March 2024 to 3,199 in the year ending March 2025.
