On the evening of Friday 27th November 2015, shortly after Isha prayers, there was an attempted arson attack on Finsbury Park Mosque, an affiliate of the MCB. Thankfully, the fire burnt out and did not harm anyone or cause damage to the mosque.
Dr Shuja Shafi, Secretary General of the MCB said, “If the fire had managed to spread, it would have caused serious damage, with untold casualties. This is yet another concerning Islamophobic attack, adding to statistics which have shown that there has been a 300% increase in attacks on Muslims since the Paris atrocities. There is an urgent need for the government and police to respond with a coordinated national strategy to prevent further attacks like this happening. Let us not wait for another incident to occur before action is taken. It is not right that a minority community is allowed to be targeted in this manner”.
The MCB welcomes the swift action taken by police after the incident, and the mosque has been grateful for the support it has received from various groups and politicians.
The Muslim Council of Britain has issued a guidance note to its affiliated mosques and associations to be vigilant and exercise caution in the face of growing provocation, especially more so after the Paris attacks.