The UK government announced Monday its commitment of over £117 million in protective security funding to the Muslim community over the next four years. It follows the Prime Minister’s recent pledge last month to allocate over £70 million to the Jewish Community Security Trust over the same period.
The funding will be directed towards safeguarding mosques, Muslim faith schools and other community centers significant to the Muslim community. Special attention will be dedicated to enhancing security at these sites, with measures such as upgrading CCTV and alarm systems, as well as installing secure perimeter fencing. The new funding is closely related to the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, which has also undergone an extension to incorporate additional protective security measures.
This year’s allocation, totaling up to £29.4 million, includes an uplift of £4.9 million in response to the events in Israel on October 7. Furthermore, £31 million has been allocated by the government to safeguard democratic processes and institutions in response to the growing threat of extremism. The funding distribution reflects the proportion of community sites utilized by each faith, considering that British Muslims outnumber British Jewish people by “14 times” throughout England and Wales. On X, the Home Office affirmed that this scheme reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring “UK Muslim communities feel safe, confident, and reassured.”
The surge in reported anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish hate cases has prompted condemnation from the government as it continues to grapple with record-level instances of religiously motivated violence. In the six weeks following Hamas’s terrorist attacks, Tell MAMA, an organization dedicated to combating anti-Muslim hate, documented 895 cases of anti-Muslim incidents. This represents a significant surge compared to the 2022 figure of 142 cases recorded during the same period from October 7 to November 19.
Lucy Powell, shadow leader of the House of Commons, has emphasized the imperative of addressing “Islamophobia in our own ranks” following remarks by MP Lee Anderson, which she deemed racist and Islamophobic. Despite significant Islamophobic backlash faced by the government, the new funding underscores its commitment to combating Islamophobia and addresses broader concerns of discrimination. Anderson’s suspension for his remarks further emphasizes the importance of upholding high standards in political discourse. The Home Secretary James Cleverly has stated that this hatred has “absolutely no place in our society.” Security Minister Tom Tugendhat echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the government’s firm stance “against hate crimes” and other forms of discrimination. Tugendhat further highlighted the ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and community partners to ensure the safety and security of all citizens.
This measure reflects the government’s unwavering stance against discrimination towards religious minority communities. It demonstrates the government’s dedication to upholding the well-being of all citizens by allocating resources and implementing measures to combat discrimination and promote inclusivity.
