A MUSLIM group has expressed concerns that mosques in Glasgow could be targeted amid growing anxiety over far-right marches planned for this weekend.
Zara Mohammed, the Glasgow-based secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), has said hundreds of mosques across the UK will be strengthening their security and protective measures.
The announcement follows the news of 19 planned rallies backed by right-wing groups across the UK this weekend.
The wave of demonstrations is off the back of several nights of rioting in England in the wake of the Southport knife attack which left three young girls dead.
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A protest on Tuesday evening in Southport turned violent with rioters turning their anger towards a local mosque where the building was pelted with the objects.
Mohammed (below) said there is a “palpable fear” amongst Muslim communities in the lead-up to the marches and that some mosques have received phone calls threatening targeted “attacks”.
She said: “There is really deep-seated anxiety amongst Muslim communities, particularly for this weekend.
“Yesterday we hosted a mosque security community briefing, and we had representation from hundreds of mosques across the country and there was palpable fear.
“We had mosques saying that they’d had threats on the phone about targeted attacks … we had a lot of anxiety around security and having enough protection.”
When asked about how mosques are preparing, she said: “It’s around protective measures: ensuring that the doors and windows are secure, carrying out a risk assessment, making sure CCTV cameras are working, and having some paid security staff on site.”
Mohammed stressed the need for Muslim communities to have a “direct relationship” with local police forces during the disorder.
Among the areas the MCB says could be targeted are Glasgow, Liverpool, Lancaster, Blackburn, Newcastle, Birmingham, Sunderland, Dover, Middlesborough, Leeds and Hull.
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