Photo: Riot police faced off against a far-right group in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire on August 4 (Credit: Ioannis Alexopoulos/AA). Right: Ibrahim Hussein, the Imam of Southport Mosque, addresses the media on July 31 while crews work on repairing the road and garden walls surrounding the mosque. Below, a photo shows a portion of the mosque’s wall that was burned. (Credit: Raşid Necati Aslım/AA)
Home Affairs Correspondent
Over 1,000 people have been arrested and nearly 600 charged in connection with the far-right riots that erupted in towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland following a stabbing incident in Southport on July 29. The turmoil, which saw mosques, refugee centres, hotels housing refugees, Muslim gravestones, and even Muslim healthcare workers targeted, was sparked by a false rumour, which claimed that a 17-year-old arrested in connection with the stabbing of three children was a Muslim asylum seeker named Ali Al-Shakati, who had arrived in Britain illegally by boat in 2023.
The suspect’s identity was revealed on August 1 during the first court hearing as Axel Rudakubana, a Cardiff-born teenager of Rwandan heritage. At Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Andrew Menary KC decided not to impose reporting restrictions on the defendant’s identity, stating, “Continuing to prevent full reporting has the disadvantage of allowing others to spread misinformation in a vacuum.”
The most notorious Islamophobic incident occurred on July 30, when hundreds of men linked to the far-right English Defence League (EDL), many wearing masks and hoodies, clashed with police outside Southport Mosque as they attempted to burn it down with the imam and eight others trapped inside. Riot police were pelted with bricks and bottles, and police vans were set ablaze.
Ibrahim Hussein, the Imam of Southport Mosque, addresses the media on July 31. (Credit: Raşid Necati Aslım/AA)
The Imam, Ibrahim Hussein, described to The Muslim News the terror of being confined in the mosque, stating, “It was awful, horrendous.” Social media alerts about the rioters’ plans to “get people out” of the mosque prompted him to advise worshippers to stay away. He arrived around 8 p.m. to secure the premises. Plainclothes security stationed nearby were eventually forced to take refuge inside the mosque “when they came under attack.”
The assault on Southport Mosque left 53 police officers injured, with eight requiring hospital treatment for severe injuries such as fractures, lacerations, a suspected broken nose, and concussion. Three police dogs were also hurt in the incident.
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, condemned the rioters for “hijacking” a vigil intended to honour the victims of the stabbing, which disrupted a memorial event at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club. He vowed swift justice, characterising the riots as “far-right thuggery” and warning that those involved would come to regret their actions.
However, Starmer’s response was met with criticism from segments of the Muslim community, who were concerned by his failure to explicitly categorise the attack and siege of Southport Mosque as an anti-Muslim (Islamophobic) hate crime. Additionally, there was widespread disappointment over the absence of a visit from the Prime Minister or any government minister in the aftermath of the attack. This omission sparked significant discussion in WhatsApp community groups, where many questioned the consistency and inclusiveness of the government’s response to hate crimes. Some argued that a similar incident at a synagogue would likely have prompted an immediate ministerial visit and a clear condemnation of antisemitism.
Three days after the siege of Southport Mosque, far-right protesters gathered outside Abdullah Quilliam Mosque in Liverpool. Merseyside Police formed a barrier between the group and counter-protestors close to the city’s Brougham Terrace from about 8 p.m. on August 2.
Elsewhere, protesters clashed with police in Sunderland as they gathered for a planned demonstration outside a mosque. Beer cans and bricks were thrown at riot police outside the mosque, and cars were set on fire during the disorder. A far-right-led mob of masked rioters tried to set fire to a hotel housing asylum seekers as further violence flared across the country at anti-immigration protests.
About 700 people gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham before clashing with police. Some rioters hurled pieces of wood, bottles, and chairs and sprayed fire extinguishers at police officers. South Yorkshire police said at least 10 officers had been injured, including one who was left unconscious with a head injury. Footage from the scene showed a bin on fire and protesters, some draped in St. George’s and Union flags, chanting, “Get them out.” The demonstrators appeared at one point to storm into the hotel, with reports of a fire inside and people peering out of windows.
The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, condemned the rioters, stating, “Deliberately setting fire to a building with people known to be inside is unacceptable. South Yorkshire police have full government support for the strongest action against those responsible.”
On August 4, far-right mobs attempted to torch a Rotherham-based hotel housing asylum seekers. The mob smashed windows and set a stairwell in the building alight, temporarily overwhelming police.
Shabnam Shabir, who came as part of a group of counter-protesters, said she had been left traumatised after her group was surrounded and kettled by the mob, who chanted racist slurs and called her the p-word. She was left stranded in her car outside the hotel, unable to leave until the rioters dispersed. “And we have people inside the hotel who are scared for their lives, so it’s terrifying.”
In Burnley, a row of headstones in the town’s Muslim section of the cemetery was discovered vandalised on August 5. Burnley Council has condemned the actions as ‘evil’. Burnley Mayor, Cllr Shah Hussain, has urged the community to stay calm amid the ‘extremely distressing’ situation. He said, “As someone with family buried there, I understand the worry and upset this causes. Please don’t be provoked; some aim to divide us. Let the police handle the investigation. Specialist cleaners are already working on the damage.”
A resident expressed his disgust, stating, “It’s shocking and distressing for the families. I know the local authority is aware and investigating.” Another Burnley resident, whose parents are buried in the cemetery but whose graves were not affected, commented, “It’s extremely worrying for everyone. I hope local law enforcement and authorities take appropriate action.”
In the early hours of 10 August, the Newtownards Islamic Cultural Centre on Greenwell Street in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, was targeted when a petrol bomb was thrown at the building. Additionally, its walls were defaced with Celtic cross graffiti. Fortunately, the bomb did not ignite, resulting only in broken windows. A single individual was involved in the attack on the Islamic centre; he was promptly arrested and later released on bail. Meanwhile, across the city, far-right groups orchestrated coordinated assaults on Muslim neighbourhoods, setting shops ablaze and smashing cars.
“We were very lucky,” Chair of the Islamic Centre, Shibaji Miah, told The Muslim News. “The petrol bomb did not explode, and the attack took place early morning around 12:30 am when no one was present.”
Miah highlighted the fear within the Muslim community in Northern Ireland following the attacks. “The Muslim community in Northern Ireland is very scared; they are afraid after the attacks.” He explained that the rioters were specifically targeting Muslims, including Muslim businesses, properties, and mosques. “It was an Islamophobic attack,” Miah stated.
However, during a meeting in Belfast with the Prime Minister, other community leaders, and the police, Starmer avoided describing the attacks on mosques and Muslim properties as Islamophobic, instead referring to them as racist. “The Prime Minister told us the attacks were racist. He did not use the word ‘Islamophobic’. We said to him the attacks were Islamophobic because they only targeted Muslims. No one else was attacked,” Miah recounted. Nonetheless, Starmer reassured the communities that the police would do their utmost to protect them.
Muslim health workers also faced a disturbing surge in Islamophobic abuse, with unprecedented levels of fear reported among NHS staff. Dr Salman Waqar, President of the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA) and advocate for approximately 7,000 healthcare professionals, highlighted the profound personal and professional distress caused by the increase in hostility.
Waqar noted: “I’ve seen some terrible messages, particularly coming out of Belfast and Greater Manchester, of people having to close their GP surgeries early, of people being trapped in their practices, of people having to take taxis back and forth from work, people not going on home visits, and people working remotely from home—there are too many to mention and count.” He also shared a video and screenshots of text messages from NHS staff describing the abuse they’ve endured over the past week, including racial slurs and a threatening message to “kill this Muslim man.”
The fear of Muslim frontline workers is echoed in the wider community, with three-quarters of Muslims saying they are worried about their safety—a rise of almost 60% since the week of the far-right riots. According to a survey by The Muslim Women’s Network, 200 of its members were asked how safe they felt in the UK before and after the riots. Some 75% said they were very worried about their safety now, compared with 16% before the riots.
This growing concern is not only reflected in personal safety fears but also in the rise of online hate speech. On August 14, there were convictions for inciting hatred online, with a woman being sentenced to 15 months in prison for calling on people to “blow the mosque up with the adults in it” in a Facebook community group. Julie Sweeney, 53, pleaded guilty to sending communication threatening death or serious harm at Chester Crown Court. Described by the judge as a ‘keyboard warrior’, she was arrested after police received a complaint about a message she posted on a Facebook group in Staffordshire. Sweeney, of Lawtongate Estate in Church Lawton, Cheshire, wrote: “Don’t protect the mosques; blow the mosque up with the adults in it” beneath a photograph showing people cleaning up the aftermath of a riot in Southport.
In response to the violence, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) issued a statement condemning the far-right rioters and the exploitation of Southport’s tragedy. MCB Secretary-General Zara Mohammed called on the government to “address the increasing rise of violent far-right extremism targeting Muslim communities. More must be done to tackle Islamophobia and offer reassurance at this time. We commend the authorities for their swift action, and our prayers are with the mosque, the families of the victims of yesterday’s attack, and the local community.”
Newtownards Islamic Cultural Centre on Greenwell Street in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, was defaced with a Celtic cross after a failed petrol bombing. Photo courtesy of Newtownards Islamic Cultural Centre
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner indicated that the Home Secretary will consider whether to proscribe the EDL as a terrorist organisation. Rayner said, “We have laws, and we have proscribed groups, and we do look at that, and it is reviewed regularly. So, I’m sure that that will be something that the Home Secretary will be looking at as part of the normal course of what we do and the intelligence that we have. But I think the bigger issue is about taking on the minority of people who have thuggish behaviour; that’s not our British values.”
Meanwhile, Stephen Parkinson, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), told The Sunday Times that courts across the country will be seeing hundreds of violent rioters in the coming days. Most of those charged have been charged with violent disorder, which has a maximum sentence of five years.
Parkinson also said some other suspects are assessed for the more serious charge of rioting or terrorism that can lead to ten years.
“There are sentencing guidelines that indicate that many people who have been caught up in this disorder will face immediate imprisonment. There should be no doubt about that. They are going to prison.
“We are willing to look at terrorism offences. I’m aware of at least one instance where that is happening. “Where you have organised groups planning activity for the purposes of advancing [an] ideology… planning really, really serious disruption, then yes, we will consider terrorism offences.”
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