Faith communities to be protected from increasing hate crimes and terror attacks

The government have announced that places of worship in the UK will receive more than £25 million in funding to help keep their attendees safe.

This decision is part of the government's pledge to ensure that faith communities in England and Wales are protected from the threat of discrimination and terror attacks. Protecting those in religious communities from hate crimes, will ensure that people are able to practise their faith freely and without fear.

The Crown Prosecution Service recognises religiously aggravated crimes as an offence. To receive a charge for discriminating against a religious community or person, there must be a substantial amount of evidence.

To apply for financial support, the applicants must prove their vulnerability and experience of hate crimes and terror attacks.

Between the years 2021 and 2022, Stop Hate UK recorded that there was a 37 per cent increase in religious hate crimes. During that time, there were almost 9,000 (8,307) religious hate crimes. Of those hate crimes, 23 per cent targeted Jews.

Jewish communities are able to receive funding for schools and synagogues, through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant scheme. The grant for the Jewish community was increased by £1 million in 2023.

In recent years, antisemitism in the UK reached an all-time high. In December 2019, the number 911 was spray-painted onto multiple premises in North London. The 911 symbol is thought to refer to an antisemitic conspiracy that Jewish people were responsible for the 9/11 attack.

Since 2021, several Free Palestine protests in London have been corrupted by people spreading antisemitic hate speech while referencing the Jewish community in Israel.

Galema, an Orthodox Jew, and wife of a Rabbi, spoke about synagogues in the UK being targeted by terror attacks in recent years. She said: "Unfortunately, there is a lot of antisemitism around. It is something we live with, we're used to. You know, it is there in the back of your mind, but you can't focus on it."

The £28 million funding from the government to religious places of worship, will go towards protective security measures. The physical security includes CCTV, intruder alarms, and fencing that protects mosques, churches, temples, gurdwaras and other places of worship from prohibited accessors.

Speaking of the pledge, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat, declared: "Freedom of religious belief and the freedom to worship are fundamental. We will defend against any form of hatred targeting our communities and are committed to protecting all faiths."

Between the years 2021 and 2022, 42 per cent of the 8,307 religious hate crimes that were reported to the police, were targeted against Muslims. It has been recorded that the majority of these hate crimes, were racially motivated.

Following an Islamophobic attack on people leaving a mosque in Newcastle this year, the Haref Allies and Development Officer Mehru-Nisa Shah, has urged Muslims across the UK to speak out against the hatred.

Mehru-Nisa Shah explained: "People are scared. Islamophobic incidents whether outside the mosques or on the streets are now a regular occurrence and many times Muslims are reluctant to report this. It's important that community leaders address this issue and not try to dismiss it and condemn those who try to speak up."

Through a new and separate scheme, that has been dubbed 'Protective Security for Mosques Scheme', up to £24.5 million will be available to protect mosques and Muslim faith schools. The scheme for 'Muslim Faith', launched to eligible schools earlier this year, enables Muslim students to practice their faith while gaining an education safely.

Non-Muslim and non-Jewish faiths will also receive an additional £3.5 million which will be put toward hate crime protection, as part of the Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme.