Attacks on mosques across the UK have surged in recent months, with a worrying increase in incidents featuring British or English flags and Christian nationalist slogans, according to data from the British Muslim Trust (BMT), the government’s official partner for monitoring Islamophobia.
Between July and October, 25 mosques were targeted in 27 separate attacks, more than a quarter of which were violent or destructive. Incidents included arson, vandalism, and intimidation. In East Sussex, a mosque was set on fire. In Merseyside, a mosque was shot with an air gun while children were inside. In Glasgow and Greater Manchester, windows were smashed using heavy objects.
The BMT report, titled A Summer of Division, found that 40% of attacks involved nationalist symbols or slogans such as “Christ is King” and “Jesus is King.” The group noted a shift in August, when isolated acts of vandalism turned into coordinated intimidation campaigns, sometimes targeting the same mosques repeatedly.
The timing of these incidents coincided with the “Raise the Colours” campaign and the “Unite the Kingdom” rally, events framed as promoting unity but which, according to BMT, emboldened ethnonationalist hostility against Muslims.
BMT Chief Executive Akeela Ahmed described the findings as a “wake-up call,” urging the government to implement rapid response measures, streamline mosque security funding, and strengthen education on community cohesion.