UK Home Secretary James Cleverly is allocating £100 million (~$128 million) to security at Muslim community centers, schools, and mosques at a time when Islamists are intimidating British Jews, politicians, and Israel supporters over the war in Gaza.
The move has been framed as a response to a supposed increase in “hate crimes” targeting Muslims since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. However, it is pro-Palestinian demonstrators who have been regularly involved in large-scale, disorderly protests in London since the conflict began, some involving open calls for jihad.
“We will not let events in the Middle East be used as an excuse to justify abuse against British Muslims,” Cleverly said, claiming the funding would provide “reassurance and confidence to UK Muslims at a time when it is crucially needed.”
A significantly smaller sum of £70 million (~$90 million) has been allocated towards increasing security for the Jewish community. The Community Security Trust (CST) advocacy group says anti-Semitic incidents surged to 4,103 last year, over double the figure for 2022. In January, a group of Jews were attacked by a large mob “swearing in Arabic.” No such assaults against Muslims in the UK have been documented.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party have been seeking to curry favor with Muslims since now-former Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson said London Mayor Sadiq Khan had handed control of the capital to his Islamist “mates,” resulting in his suspension from the party.
Anderson, a Member of Parliament (MP), has joined the Reform Party founded by Nigel Farage.
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