Why are mosques under attack in Britain?

On Friday morning, I was terrified after reading a WhatsApp message titled “marches” with a subheading, “Please be careful” as the far-right, Islamophobic group English Defence League (EDL) planned to visit 17 major cities across Britain. Later, Sky News reported “more protests have been planned for the coming days over the Southport stabbing attacks, including one targeting a mosque.”

By evening, a police station and a car were set on fire by far-right thugs in Sunderland. Following a “deadly child stabbing,” the UK is witnessing new waves of rioting and violent protests from Southport to Sunderland, London, and several other cities. However, mainstream religious figures, community leaders, politicians, security institutions, and academics have shown solidarity in denouncing the “criminal thuggery.” Sunderland MP Lewis Atkinson vows “‘Far-right racists’ will not win,” but only time will tell if the far-right will be weakened.

Evidence shows the far-right has constructed a narrative that British Muslims are the root cause of all problems. Since the Southport incident, hundreds of far-right associates have spread fake news, accusing Muslims of all troubles.

For hours, the mainstream British press avoided naming the teenage killer due to UK laws. What if the killer was a Muslim? British politician Suella Braverman made numerous false comments about “grooming gangs” being Pakistani Muslims, ignoring that a 2015 study found 42% of perpetrators were white. Current statistics show an alarming 82% rise in online grooming crimes against children, so blaming Muslims doesn’t solve the problem.

Braverman gained publicity like Nigel Farage, who blamed Muslims for mass stabbings in Sunderland and the Leeds riots without consequence. Far-right figures can demonize the whole Muslim community for social ills without repercussions.

The violent protests reveal disinformation is a killing virus, and social media warriors can accuse anyone without checking. The law does not protect certain communities, leaving Muslims as easy targets. The result is ongoing mayhem with no end in sight.

Is Islamophobia a form of racism? Racism exists in every country, including Britain, where it is institutionalized. Thirteen years ago, Conservative Party Lady Saeeda Warsi revealed, “Islamophobia is now socially acceptable in Britain.” Wes Streeting, the current Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, admitted in his Guardian piece titled “Yes, Islamophobia is a type of racism” and urged the government to adopt a working definition of “Islamophobia,” which was accepted by Labour, Lib Dems, and Scottish Tories, but declined by the then Conservative government.

University of Bristol professor Tariq Modood’s report “Islamophobia: A form of cultural racism” suggests, “Islamophobia is the racialization of Muslims based on physical appearance or descent as members of a community and attributing to them cultural or religious characteristics to vilify, marginalize, discriminate, or demand assimilation and thereby treat them as second class citizens.” Decades on, Islamophobia remains unresolved.

Why mosques? How does British media present mosques? The Masjid, or mosque, symbolizes Islam like a Church, Synagogue, Temple, or Gurdwara symbolizes other religions. Since the riots began, mosques in Southport, Sunderland, Hartlepool, London, and Liverpool have been attacked, though the killer is an African Christian. What happens next? How far can the far-right go?

University of Leeds academic Abdul Shaikh noted, “Across social media, the name of the EDL has been mentioned despite the fact that the organization is now defunct. Tommy Robinson, a co-founder of EDL, is known to be a pro-Israeli campaigner and has been at the forefront of anti-Palestine demonstrations since Oct. 7 in the UK. This call to action culminating in riots is an attempt to intimidate Muslims in the UK because of their pro-Palestine sentiments. The authorities need to focus on community cohesion to build stronger communities across these isles.”

Now, mosques across the UK are “preparing for the worst” as “far-right protests mobilize” marches across England accusing Islam and Muslims for a crime committed by an African Christian who never attended any mosque. What’s the logic behind attacking mosques? With the killer’s identity confirmed, no one is targeting Africans or attacking Churches. So why mosques and why Muslims?

In-depth analysis of mosques’ representations in British media shows a narrative that all radicals, extremists, and violent criminals have attended mosques. For years, parts of the British press and polity have misrepresented mosques to turn public anger toward Muslims and Islam rather than tackling real issues like rising prices, social injustice, wars, and public spending cuts.

Leeds Beckett University academic Razaq Raj told Daily Sabah, “Far-right groups use religion to justify violence against minority communities, particularly Muslims. They portray Muslims as monolithic and dangerous, dehumanizing them and legitimizing discrimination, hate speech, and violence. This supports their political, social, and ideological goals by promoting fear and division. The impact on Muslim communities includes increased discrimination, exclusion, and physical danger. Combating this requires education, legal protections, and fostering intercommunity dialogue.”

The recent mayhem recalls British sociologist Stanley Cohen’s study “Folk Devils and Moral Panics” (1972), suggesting that the press, politicians, public bodies, pressure groups, and police construct a narrative on “deviant behavior” of the “folk devil.” Initially, “mods and rockers,” a youth subculture, were portrayed as villains. All major players pressured the government to act against them, only to find out decades later they weren’t guilty.

Today, far-right politicians, rioters, pressure groups, and their associates in the press blame Muslims for current violent riots. None of them will regret or apologize.

Any sensible British person agrees with the European Convention on Human Rights, which acknowledges “The individual rights together with other people and make their collective voice heard is fundamental to a properly-functioning democracy.”

The British media should stop portraying mosques as houses of radicals. There is notable evidence that Muslims are the least protected community in Britain. It’s time for Britain to rethink its laws to exhibit equality in practice, not just in theory. As a test case, Islamophobia should be treated the same as Anti-Semitism to protect Muslims.