21/06/2026
*** Anti-Muslims Attacks - Edinburgh – 21st June 2026 ***
By now many of us will have heard about the appalling attacks in Edinburgh on the news.
From the video footage of the arrest of the suspect one can see from his words he has been radicalised by anti-Muslim sentiment.
Sadly the attacker will be venerated by certain sections of society and will no doubt inspire others radicalised by anti-Muslim sentiment to act on their hatred. In 2025 the Government appointed British Muslim Trust recorded 27 attacks against Mosques between July 2025 and October 2025. Attacks continue albeit with less frequency. In August 2025, 18-year-old neo-Nazi Alina Burns carried out a terrorism-motivated axe attack on Mohammed Mahmoodi, an Iranian-Kurdish barber.
The incident in Edinburgh will not be the last of such attacks.
It is no coincidence that this increase in violent attacks has occurred at the same time as the current anti-immigration and far right rhetoric being pumped out by some political parties, far-right personalities and certain sections of the media. Some of the blame squarely lies at their feet for emboldening those susceptible to such speech and radicalising and motivating them to carry out such violence contrary to British values. Social media companies have also played their role in allowing hate filled content to propagate relatively unchallenged.
The aforementioned have taken genuinely perceived grievances and packaged them in hyperbole and misinformation thereby amplifying and weaponizing them to stir not only division and hatred in our nation but cause people and communities to build walls between themselves.
We need those in authority, especially in political leadership to speak up and take stronger action against the rising tide of racism (rapidly morphing into fascism) and against the bad actors promoting this hate. We also need leaders who can build bridges between communities to overcome the divisory walls being erected between them.
At a societal level with increasing louder voices of hate we have to combat them with even louder voices of hope as the people of Southport showed us in 2024 in the wake of riots by turning a situation of “hate” into “hope”. Human connection and common values will always overcome hate.
Our communities need morally strong leadership. Our communities need action.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. That hindsight should not come at the expense of more victims of hate.
May Allah grant justice to those affected. Ameen.
As a nation may Allah keep our hearts united in hope and not divided by hate. Ameen.
Rizwan Ahmed.
Bristol Muslim Cultural Society
Muslim Chaplain.
