UK mosques advised to run lockdown drills amid fears of anti-Muslim attacks

Mosques are being advised to carry out lockdown drills, strengthen ties with local police and improve CCTV coverage under new national guidance published amid growing concerns about anti-Muslim attacks. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has released new security and preparedness framework for mosques, trustees and volunteers, warning that places of worship and community centres face an increasing threat from vandalism, intimidation, threats and targeted hostility. The guidance provides practical advice on how mosques should respond to an incident. It includes lockdown procedures, emergency response planning, incident reporting systems and measures to strengthen relationships with local authorities and police forces. The framework follows a series of attacks targeting Muslim communities, including on the home of an imam in Bolton, and heightened fears after racist riots in Belfast . The MCB warned its nearly 500 affiliated mosques and community centres to remain vigilant for another summer of “violence on our streets”, while imams were being encouraged to use Friday sermons to share messages of hope, unity and resilience. Home Office figures, released last October, showed recorded hate crime in England and Wales was rising for the first time in three years, including increases in racially and religiously motivated offences. …