LONDON: British mosques have been advised to beef up security measures, including holding lockdown drills, to prepare in case of attacks.
The recommendations in a framework by the Muslim Council of Britain suggest that mosques forge closer ties with local police and improve CCTV around premises amid fears of threats and attacks.
The framework comes in the wake of a series of violent incidents in recent weeks, including riots in Belfast following a knife attack by a migrant on a local man, and a suspected arson attack on the home of an imam in Bolton.
Hate crimes in England and Wales have risen for the first time in three years, according to the Home Office, with incidents up from 2,690 offenses to 3,199 in the 12 months to March 2025.
The MCB said it could be another year of “violence on our streets,” and urged imams across its nearly 500 affiliated mosques and community groups to use Friday sermons to prepare and reassure congregations.
Its framework recommends appointing dedicated members of communities as security leads, highlighting CCTV blindspots, securing access points to mosques and community centers, and implementing lockdown procedures in phased rollouts of three, 12 and 36 months.
It also sets out approaches to deal with issues such as graffiti and vandalism, verbal abuse and intimidation, arson attempts, suspicious packages and bomb threats.
On top of forging closer ties with police, it also recommends improving relations with neighbors, local politicians and other faith groups to improve and expand security through a shared sense of community.
In an anonymous survey conducted in the wake of the Belfast riots, the MCB said respondents had voiced fear over potential hostility toward Muslim communities, and a lack of support for people affected by hate crimes.
MCB Secretary-General Wajid Akhter said the framework is about empowering communities “to remain vigilant, to build strong local relationships and allies, and to have the structure in place to respond.”
He added: “The recent riots in Southampton and Belfast that exploited knife crime tragedies highlights how parts of Britain’s politicians and mainstream media, aided by algorithm-fueled social media disinformation and foreign-based billionaires seeking yet more violence on our streets, relish any opportunity to relive the … racist and Islamophobic nationwide riots of summer 2024.”
