Mosque Security Deliver Mosque Security Briefing Event With Mayor of London

Faith Associates through the Mosque Security project organised a ‘Mosque Security Briefing Event’ in partnership with Mayor of London, MOPAC, and the Metropolitan Police and took place at the Beacon institute, Al Manaar Mosque. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan emphasised the importance on the protection of mosques across the capital, emphasizing the importance of supporting these vital community spaces against potential attacks.

The event, attended by community leaders, law enforcement officials, and security experts, aimed to address rising concerns over safety in places of worship amidst a backdrop of the far-right riots and attacks against Mosques. Sadiq Khan reiterated his commitment to strengthening partnerships between local authorities and communities, advocating for enhanced security measures and resources to ensure that mosques remain safe havens for all. “London is a city built on diversity and mutual respect, and it is our collective responsibility to protect every faith community,” said Khan.

The Mayor announced funding for four additional security training sessions in mosques across the capital, as he extends his work to support faith leaders across the capital, build community cohesion and tackle hate crime following the recent disorder. Sadiq Khan has also welcomed the reopening of the Government’s Mosque Security Scheme following his calls. The scheme is providing rapid security support for any buildings vulnerable to Hate Crime, boosting the work done by local police forces and building on the Government’s existing Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, with up to £29.4 million already to fund security at mosques and Muslim faith schools.

Faith Associates, through our Mosque Security project, led the first of the four new sessions at Al Manaar to provide practical advice on how to keep congregations and premises safe. Representatives from the Met were also in attendance. The planned training sessions will cover protective security and safety processes, as well as hate crime and online safety and security. A Community Resilience Champions programme also runs in partnership with London Boroughs Faiths Network that provides practical support for faith leaders on how to keep their places of worship safe for staff, visitors and communities.

Throughout his time as Mayor, Sadiq has led from the front to ensure the Met takes a zero-tolerance approach to all hate crime. This Mayor has invested a record £14.8m in combatting hatred, intolerance and extremism in all its forms, providing support to grassroots community groups, This includes his £3.95m Shared Endeavour Fund which is helping tens of thousands of Londoners to get involved in grassroots community-led projects across London that stand up to hate, intolerance, extremism and radicalisation wherever they are, as well as supporting the Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH) partnership which supports victims of all forms of hate crime.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m proud that last week Londoners sent a clear message that we are an open and welcoming city that is united against all forms of hate.

“The peaceful shows of unity on our streets were inspiring and comforting, however the violence and disorder that was seen across the country has left many Londoners afraid. There is no room for complacency. We can never stop being vigilant.

“I continue to work closely with the government, the Met and community leaders to ensure that Londoners feel safe, and are safe, and through this new funding we will provide additional support and information to help Mosque leaders during this difficult time. This is on top of the increased funding we’re already providing to places of worship in the capital. I want to thank the Home Office for providing additional funding for protective security for Mosques.

“London will always be proud of our diversity and we will continue to do all we can to show that our city will never tolerate violence, racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism, as we build a safer London for all.”

Shaukat Warraich, managing director at Faith Associates, said: “The recent disorder and Islamophobia observed around the country has been shocking and has scared people. Faith Associates are experts in Mosque Security and have delivered capacity building work with Mosques around the world. We have a long history of working with the Mayor of London on helping to keep the Muslim community in the capital safe, regularly partnering together since 2019. The new support provided to us by MOPAC will allow even more Mosques to receive vital safety and security advice which can be implemented immediately.”

View the press release from Mayor of London