Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the leading Sunni Islamic institution globally and which is based in Egypt, denounced the recent surge of far-right attacks targeting Muslims and mosques in the United Kingdom, which were fueled by false social media claims that a Muslim immigrant was responsible for the “Southport” crime.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Al-Azhar also emphasized the urgent need to confront the campaign inciting hatred against Muslims and spreading fear among the British public, calling for the protection of Muslims and the importance of impartial law enforcement.

What is happening in the UK? 

The stabbing of three young girls during a dance class in the coastal town of Southport ignited a wave of unrest across the UK, with far-right extremists targeting Muslims and immigrants.

The violence, which erupted in cities and towns throughout England and Northern Ireland, was fueled by a combination of online misinformation, far-right extremism, and anti-immigrant sentiment.

Police arrested a 17-year-old local resident in connection with the stabbings and ruled out terrorism as a motive. However, false and inflammatory rumors swiftly spread on social media, falsely identifying the suspect as a Muslim asylum seeker who had recently arrived in the UK by boat.

Staff at a Rotherham Holiday Inn, housing asylum seekers, resorted to desperate measures to protect themselves from a violent mob. They barricaded the door with fridges and other furniture as the crowd smashed their way into the building.

Elsewhere, violent clashes erupted in Middlesbrough as a large crowd gathered outside a mosque, with rioters damaging property and confronting police.

In response to these attacks, the Home Office announced a new rapid response plan to enhance security at mosques nationwide.

BBC analysis of social media platforms revealed a coordinated effort by influential far-right figures to mobilize people for riots.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has denounced the violent riots that have erupted across the country after last week’s brutal stabbing spree, calling them “far-right thuggery” and pledging to address them with the “full force of the law.”

In a televised address on Sunday, Starmer cautioned those involved in the violence or inciting it online that they would “regret taking part in this disorder.”

“This is not protest. It is organized, violent thuggery. It has no place on our streets or online,” he stated.

Muslims make up 6.5 percent of the population in England and Wales, a total of 3.87 million people. This figure has risen by 1.16 million since 2011, according to a 2021 consensus by the Muslim Council of Britain.