Elham Asaad Buaras
A London MP claims there is “rising fear” in the Muslim community after a local Muslim school was mailed a threatening letter. Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North, said the school in Redbridge was sent a letter threatening to “kill everyone” during the week.
In a letter to the Home Secretary dated December 8, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care urgently called on James Cleverly to “safeguard Muslim communities from hatred and discrimination.”
He said parents and teachers were “fearing for the safety of their children because of the grotesque threat.” He added that the Redbridge school’s experience was “by no means the only example of hatred, threats, and abuse directed towards Muslim community organisations.”
Streeting urged Cleverly to “release funding for security and reassurance measures” and asked how much of the £24.5 million pledged by the security minister for the Protective Security of Mosques Scheme for 2023–24 had been allocated to sites in Redbridge.
In a statement to The Muslim News, a Home Office spokesperson said, “We will not tolerate anti-Muslim hatred. The Prime Minister has made it clear that we stand with UK Muslim communities now and always.”
The Home Office also said Cleverly met with representatives from the Muslim community earlier in the month to discuss “the most effective ways of tackling anti-Muslim hatred.”.
Since the start of the Israel-Gaza war, the government has made an additional £4.9 million available for protective security at mosques and Muslim faith schools this year and next, the spokesperson added.
The Metropolitan Police said it was investigating the matter and would be running increased patrols around the school.
“Officers have been in touch with staff at the school to ensure the relevant security measures are in place,” a spokesperson said.
“Inquiries are ongoing to identify who sent the letter. There have been no arrests.”
Photo: Wes Streeting MP (Credit: David Woolfall/UK Parliament)
