Mosques Face Uphill Battle for Protective Security Funding
The Home Office is under mounting pressure to revise stringent criteria that make it difficult for mosques to access a £40 million protective security fund. Announced last week, the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme aims to provide resources such as security personnel, CCTV systems, fencing, alarms, and floodlights to mosques, Muslim educational institutions, and community centers across the United Kingdom.
Proving Vulnerability: A Significant Hurdle
However, Akeela Ahmed, Chief Executive of the British Muslim Trust—the government's official partner in monitoring Islamophobia—argues that the current requirements are leaving many religious sites unprotected. To qualify for funding, mosques must demonstrate they have been specifically targeted, for instance through incidents like graffiti or other documented hate crimes.
Home Office guidance explicitly states that applications lacking strong evidence, such as police reports or detailed accounts of material consequences, are unlikely to succeed. Merely reporting a general sense of insecurity due to broader societal tensions is deemed insufficient.
Recent Incident Highlights Urgent Need
The urgency of this issue was starkly illustrated by a recent event at Manchester Central Mosque. On Tuesday evening, security staff confronted an individual armed with an axe, a knife, and a hammer, leading to police intervention. While not classified as a terrorist incident, Greater Manchester Police have increased patrols and are collaborating with Counter Terrorism Policing North West in response.
Ahmed emphasized that this incident underscores the critical need for enhanced security measures at mosques. She noted that attacks are becoming increasingly frequent and violent, yet many mosques remain ineligible for support under the existing framework.
Systemic Barriers and Backlogs
In practice, the requirement for concrete evidence means a mosque must have already suffered an attack and obtained corroboration from authorities like the police or local councils. Ahmed highlighted that mosques often report low-level incidents or suspicious activities near their premises without receiving a timely response from law enforcement, complicating the evidence-gathering process.
"The criteria to provide evidence of being targeted is an unnecessary barrier," Ahmed stated. "A mosque is inherently vulnerable simply by virtue of being a mosque. With a high volume of applications, there is a significant backlog, leaving some mosques waiting up to 18 months for a decision."
Surge in Anti-Muslim Attacks
Data from the British Muslim Trust reveals a nationwide increase in attacks on mosques last year. Between August and October alone, 27 incidents were recorded, including an arson attack, an airgun shooting, and vandalism involving a paving slab and a metal pole. Overall, Muslims were the target of 45% of all religious hate crimes in the past year.
Afzal Khan, MP for Manchester Rusholme, linked the recent Manchester incident to the need for Home Office security funding, attributing part of the problem to far-right rhetoric that scapegoats Muslim communities.
Calls for Reform
Advocates are urging the government to implement a more streamlined application process that recognizes the inherent vulnerability of mosques without requiring proof of prior targeting. They also call for improved early warning systems and intervention measures to better protect British Muslims.
The Home Office has not yet commented on these criticisms. As debates continue, the safety of worship spaces remains a pressing concern amid escalating hate crimes.
