UK Mosque Attacks Rise to Every Five Days as a 12 Year Old’s Cake Campaign Spreads Solidarity Worldwide
Maryam Tariq
A new report from the British Muslim Trust has revealed that a mosque in the United Kingdom is now being attacked on average once every five days, a finding that has renewed alarm within Muslim communities already grappling with rising hostility. At the same time, a very different story has been unfolding thousands of miles away, where a 12 year old autistic British boy has carried a message of solidarity from mosques in Peterborough all the way to Istanbul.
The Scale of Mosque Attacks Across the UK
The British Muslim Trust documented 70 attacks on Muslim places of worship across the UK in the 12 months leading up to July, ranging from vandalism and arson to intimidation, online abuse and property damage. Among the recorded incidents was an arson attack at Peacehaven Mosque in East Sussex last October, and an episode in Bristol where bacon was deliberately left at a mosque during Friday prayers in the first week of Ramadan. London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands emerged as the top three hotspots, with nine separate attacks recorded in London alone, and one Birmingham mosque targeted three separate times within a single year.
Muslims Remain the Most Targeted Religious Group
Home Office data released in October showed anti-Muslim hate crime rose by almost a fifth in a single year, climbing from 2,690 recorded offences in the year to March 2024 to 3,199 offences by March 2025. Muslim communities continue to represent the most targeted religious group for hate crimes in England and Wales. Akeela Ahmed, chief executive of the British Muslim Trust, said the organization is seeing a steady rise in attacks against mosques and believes the government should be doing everything possible to help mosques protect themselves.
Why Security Funding Isn’t Reaching Mosques Fast Enough
The UK government has pledged record levels of protective security funding for mosques, faith schools and community centres, up to 40 million pounds for the 2026 to 2027 period. But the British Muslim Trust says many mosques are still waiting months for that promised funding to actually arrive, even as the pace of attacks continues building. A Home Office spokesperson said the government is working to process applications as quickly as possible, though community leaders argue the bureaucratic delay leaves vulnerable mosques exposed in the meantime, with lower level incidents in particular often going unaddressed by local authorities.
A Different Response Taking Shape
Against this backdrop, a very different kind of response has been quietly gaining momentum. Joshua Harris, known online as The Joshie Man, is a 12 year old autistic and non speaking boy from Peterborough whose Cake Not Hate campaign began in October 2025, after far right extremist Alexander Hooper entered Masjid Darassalaam and attacked worshippers and a police officer during Fajr prayers. In the aftermath, Joshua and his father Dan responded by baking cakes and delivering them to the same mosque as a gesture of solidarity. Despite receiving threatening messages after launching the initiative, the pair chose to expand rather than stop, and have since visited more than 100 mosques across the UK, including London, Leicester, Luton and Birmingham.
The Campaign Goes Global
Joshua’s message has since crossed borders. Earlier this year, he brought the campaign to Medina, adapting it into Dates Not Hate and handing out dates to worshippers at the Prophet’s Mosque, an experience his father described as deeply moving, with people kissing Joshua’s hands and head in welcome. This month, Joshua brought Cake Not Hate to Istanbul, visiting the historic Suleymaniye, Fatih, Sehzade and Taksim mosques over a ten day trip, distributing cakes alongside a group of children from Gaza. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally welcomed Joshua and his family at his Dolmabahce office, praising the young campaigner’s efforts to foster friendship and inclusion.
Why Both Stories Belong Together
Taken together, these two stories capture the same moment from opposite angles, one documenting the real and rising danger facing Muslim communities in Britain, the other showing how ordinary acts of kindness are being used to directly counter that hostility. As mosques continue waiting for promised protection, grassroots efforts like Joshua’s offer a reminder that solidarity, even from a 12 year old with a box of homemade cakes, can travel further and faster than the hate it responds to.
Sources:
· UK mosque attacked every 5 days as British Muslim Trust sounds alarm on security — Arab News: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2652009/world
· One UK mosque attacked every five days, says British Muslim Trust — The Guardian via AOL: https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/one-uk-mosque-attacked-every-230127000.html
· A mosque is being attacked in the UK every five days, British Muslim Trust warns — Yahoo News: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/mosques-waiting-months-security-promised-230100126.html
· Turkiye’s Erdogan hosts Cake Not Hate boy Joshua Harris in Istanbul — TRT World: https://www.trtworld.com/article/a3473f5115d8
