Local religious groups have said that their members are ‘scared to go out alone’ following attacks and abuse

Finsbury Park Mosque, credit: Google Street View

Leaders of local religious groups have said they face ongoing safety fears, even saying the conflict in Israel and Palestine has been “imported to the UK”.

Haringey Community Press spoke to representatives from synagogues and mosques in the borough, who said that antisemitism and Islamophobia is a rising threat. One spokesperson said that they know Muslim women who are “scared to go out alone” following attacks and abuse.

Since the attacks of Hamas (an Islamic terrorist group which governs Gaza) on Israel on 7th October, officials have warned that antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crime would increase in the UK as a result of the conflict. The Metropolitan Police reported a 1,350% increase in hate crimes against Jewish people from 1st October to 18th October compared with the same period last year (from 15 to 218 offences), while Islamophobic offences had increased by 140%, from 42 in 2022 to 103. Meanwhile, arrests following alleged offences remain low, in just under 7% of cases.

Extra security measures have had to be implemented at places of worship across London, with mayor of London Sadiq Khan working with faith leaders to offer practical guidance and calling for increased neighbourhood reassurance patrols – investing £10,000 in a new ‘community resilience champions’ programme. City Hall’s resilience team and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) are continuing a rolling programme of security visits to London synagogues.

Khan said: “The suffering and loss of innocent life in both Israel and Gaza is truly heart-breaking and my thoughts are with all those impacted. It’s vital that we don’t allow events overseas to spill over onto our streets in London and I want to reassure both the Jewish community and the Muslim community that we will take a zero-tolerance approach to any Islamophobia or antisemitism.

“I’m continuing to work closely with the police and community leaders to ensure our communities feel safe, and are safe, as they go about their daily lives. Our city is united against all forms of hate and we will continue to do all we can to support faith leaders and communities as we build a safer London for all.”

However, the leader of Highgate Synagogue, Rabbi Nicky Liss, said that they have had to take separate action amid increasing safety fears: “Sadly, we have had to implement enhanced security measures due to the heightened concerns following the pogrom in Israel, though we are so grateful to the local police who have been looking after us with extra patrols.”

Liss added: “In and amongst all the tragedy, it is such a shame that the conflict is imported to the UK by those looking to cause us harm. We pray for peace and that it happens swiftly with no more loss of innocent lives.”

Teachers and parents have also expressed concerns around the safety of children, with three Jewish schools in
nearby Barnet deciding to close – though Jewish schools in Haringey remain open.

A spokesperson at Finsbury Park Mosque reiterated Liss’ calls for peace, saying that “the past few days have been very tough for our congregation and members.

“They are rightfully worried about the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza and the ramifications it is having here in the UK.

“We have seen a sharp rise in Islamophobia as a result, with many holding Muslims collectively responsible.”

They added: “The government and opposition’s divisive rhetoric has also caused major concerns within the community. They fear they are being singled out for their pro-Palestine activism. We have witnessed Muslim women scared to go out alone because some of them have been attacked and abused. We have heard reports of students being intimidated in university; Muslim doctors being maliciously reported for their pro-Palestine stances.

“This has led to a worrying chilling effect and fear within our congregation. We hope and pray that this war will end soon and urge our politicians to call for an immediate ceasefire so many innocent lives from both sides can be saved.”

Throughout October, Haringey residents have been marching in protest against David Lammy MP’s stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict, following a comment in an LBC interview last month in which the politician implied that Hamas had “raped babies”. Lotte Collett, Haringey Labour councillor for Woodside, also resigned from the party last month after she said Labour had failed to “condemn Israeli aggression”.

Leader of Haringey Council Peray Ahmet said: “know that many of our residents have been profoundly affected by recent events in Israel and Palestine, as well as reports of increasing antisemitism and Islamophobia here in the UK. We will simply not tolerate any kind of hate here in Haringey, and we are doing all we can to help our communities feel safe at this challenging time.

“Alongside council officers and other partners, I attended a series of meetings last week to listen to residents’ concerns and reaffirm our support. This included a joint visit with my Hackney colleagues to South Tottenham and Stamford Hill on Wednesday to meet with our Orthodox Jewish communities, a meeting with Muslim residents at Wightman Road Mosque last month, and a meeting with the borough’s Jewish community leaders which I hosted last month.

“We have always been clear that there is absolutely no place for hate of any kind in our borough – so it was great
to see our communities come together last week to mark Hate Crime Awareness Week. I was particularly touched last month when I joined a meeting of the Haringey Multi-faith Forum at the London Alevi Cultural Centre, organised as part of this programme. It was inspiring to see representatives of our diverse faith groups stand together with a common message advocating for dialogue, solidarity and unity in the face of hatred.

“This spirit of togetherness embodies everything that is great about our borough, and this is exactly the approach we will be taking forward as a council as we continue to support our diverse communities.”

The Metropolitan Police has been approached for comment.

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