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When people march against Islam, many Muslims feel the weight of it. It can affect how openly people practise their faith, how safe they feel walking to the mosque, and how parents speak to their children about being Muslim in Britain.
Recent reporting has shown that this fear is not imagined. Muslim leaders have warned that anti-Muslim hate crime is reaching new levels, with incidents involving mosque attacks, vandalism, public abuse and families feeling unsafe. Amnesty International UK has also warned that Islamophobic attacks have reached emergency levels, after homes, cars and mosques were targeted in suspected firebombing and arson attacks.
Islam as a Growing Community
While far-right marches often carry the belief that Islam should somehow be pushed out of Britain, the reality is that Islam is not an outsider faith hiding at the edge of society, but is part of everyday British life.
Over the last decade, the number of mosques and prayer rooms in the UK has grown by more than 400 locations, according to Muslims in Britain. This is not evidence of a takeover but evidence of a community growing, organising and needing peaceful spaces to pray, learn and serve.
Furthermore, Religion Media Centre reported that mosques make up around 4% of Britain’s places of worship, while Muslims make up around 6.5% of the population. Churches still account for the overwhelming majority of worship buildings. The data does not support the fear that Islam is taking over, rather shows a minority community building the spaces it needs.
Behind every number is a family, a neighbour, a nurse, a teacher, a student, a business owner, a child learning their first Surah, or an adult trying to return to prayer after years away.
Some people also come to Islam later in life. One research by Sealy (2021) on British converts to Islam reminds us that conversion is often misunderstood when viewed through fear. For many converts, Islam is not about rejecting Britain. It is about finding meaning, discipline, peace, moral clarity and a deeper connection with God.
What We Can Do as a Muslim Community
The answer to anti-Muslim hate cannot only be fear, silence or withdrawal. We need safety, protection and accountability, but we also need stronger communities, confident families and spaces where Muslims and reverts feel supported in their faith.
That is part of the role My Salah Mat hope to take.
Our work has always been about helping Muslims stay close to Salah and Islamic learning in a way that feels gentle, practical and accessible. For children, that means making prayer easier to understand from a young age. For reverts and adults, it means providing support at a stage when learning Salah can feel overwhelming, lonely or intimidating.
The Adult Interactive Prayer Mat was created to help people learn privately, patiently and without judgement. It gives reverts, new learners and returning Muslims a way to begin, build confidence and reconnect with prayer step by step.
As a community, we can also do more. We can make mosques more welcoming by holding open days, or we check in on reverts after Shahada, not only on the day itself. We can also teach our children to be proud of their faith without becoming harsh. When it comes to anti-mulslim hate, we can speak against it clearly, while still showing Islam through peace, service, charity and good character.
When someone says they would stop Islam, the truth is simple: faith cannot be shouted out of people’s hearts. Islam lives in prayer, charity, family life, feeding neighbours, visiting the sick, raising children with purpose and helping people find their way back to Allah.
Anti-Muslim hate is escalating and we should not minimise it. But we should also remember that Islam in Britain is not only a headline, a march or a statistic. It is people, prayer, resilience and belonging.
FAQ
How bad is the anti-Muslim hate in Britain?
Media reports stated that Anti-Muslim hate in Britain is seriously escalating, with reports highlighting increased hate crime, attacks on mosques, public abuse, vandalism and Muslim families feeling unsafe.
Is Islam growing in Britain?
Yes, the Muslim population and the number of mosques and prayer spaces have grown over time. This reflects a growing community, not a threat.
Are mosques overrepresented in Britain?
No. Reports suggest mosques make up around 4% of Britain’s places of worship, while Muslims make up around 6.5% of the population.
How does My Salah Mat support reverts?
The Adult Interactive Prayer Mat helps reverts and new learners practise Salah step by step, privately and without judgement.
What can Muslim communities do in response to Islamophobia?
Muslim communities can speak clearly against hate, support mosque safety, welcome reverts, teach children confidence in faith and show Islam through service and good character.
References
Amnesty International UK. 2026. UK: Islamophobic attacks reaching emergency levels, says Amnesty.
Butt, M. 2025. “The most visible sign of Islam in Britain”: Mosques in UK hold £1.5 billion in assets, new report reveals. Religion Media Centre.
Mohdin, A. 2026. Vandalism, taunts and hijabs torn off: Muslim leaders in UK say hate crime hitting new levels. The Guardian.
Naqshbandi, M. 2026. UK Mosque Statistics / UK Masjid Statistics. Muslims in Britain.
Sealy, T. 2021. British converts to Islam: continuity, change, and religiosity in religious identity. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 36(3), 421-439.
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