LONDON

A report found a sharp increase in attacks on mosques across the UK over the past three months, with religious and national symbols increasingly used to intimidate British Muslims.

According to data compiled by the British Muslim Trust (BMT), at least 27 verified attacks targeted mosques between July 26 and the end of October, including three cases where the same sites were attacked more than once.

The incidents include an attempted arson attack intended to endanger life, a projectile attack and numerous cases of graffiti, hate signage and flags or crosses being placed on mosque property.

By comparison, the BMT said it found no evidence of more than four mosque attacks in the previous six months using publicly available data.

‘A nationwide surge’

The report describes a “nationwide surge” in anti-Muslim hate between August and October. In total, 25 mosques were attacked in 27 incidents at 23 locations across the country.

More than 40% of incidents involved British or English flags or Christian symbols or slogans, while 11% featured other forms of graffiti or hate signage.

More than one-quarter of all recorded attacks were described as violent or destructive.

Following one verified incident in July, there was a sudden spike in August, with seven verified attacks nationwide. The number rose to nine in September and nine in October.

The BMT said the nature of the attacks also escalated, moving from vandalism to “coordinated symbolic intimidation and violent attacks”, culminating in arson and repeat targeting.

Link to nationalist campaigns

The report places the surge in the context of the summer’s Raise the Colors campaign and the Unite the Kingdom Rally, both of which were presented by organizers, as calls for national unity.

But the BMT found that “the two coincided with incidents where the flag itself became a tool of ethno-nationalist intimidation.”

“For many Muslims, these were not random acts but signals that their belonging in British society was being challenged because of their faith,” the report said.

'Mosques targeted on staggering scale'

BMT Chief Executive Akeela Ahmed said the findings showed an alarming trend.

“The evidence from this summer is incontrovertible: anti-Muslim hate in Britain is rising in both visibility and severity – and Mosques are being targeted on a staggering scale.

“The current crisis is intolerable and concerted sustained action is urgently needed. At the British Muslim Trust we will continue to monitor hate and provide transparent, robust data — but that information must be acted upon,” said Ahmed.

The BMT warned that victims often report limited follow-up from police or online platforms, contributing to a perception that anti-Muslim hatred is being tolerated or minimized.

It is calling for faster response protocols for mosque attacks, better coordination between authorities, and simplified funding and security processes for places of worship.