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The UK government marked the start of the holy month of Ramzan with a commitment to provide British Muslims with more than GBP 117 million of protective security funding over the next four years.
As per ANI report, The funding will go towards protecting mosques, Muslim faith schools and other community centres to combat anti-Muslim hate crimes. Measures will include technology such as CCTV, alarm systems and secure perimeter fencing at mosques, Muslim faith community centres, and faith schools. Meanwhile, around GBP 31 million will also be made available to protect democratic processes and institutions in response to growing “extremist threats”.
“Anti-Muslim hatred has absolutely no place in our society. We will not let events in the Middle East be used as an excuse to justify abuse against British Muslims,” said UK Home Secretary James Cleverly.
“The Prime Minister [Rishi Sunak] has made clear that we stand with Muslims in the UK. That is exactly why we have committed to this funding, giving reassurance and confidence to UK Muslims at a time when it is crucially needed,” he said.
The UK government said it condemns the recent rise in reported anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish hatred.
“Ministers have made it clear they expect the police to fully investigate all hate crimes and work with the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] to make sure the cowards who commit these appalling offences feel the full force of the law,” the Home Office said.
It said the funding announcement follows Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s pledge to provide more than GBP 70 million over the next four years to the Community Security Trust to protect Jewish community sites, as part of the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant. That funding will increase security at a range of locations across the country, including schools, synagogues and other facilities used by the Jewish community.
Funding was allocated to reflect the number of community sites used by each faith, with British Muslims making up 14 times more of England and Wales’ population than British Jews.
