'No place' for anti-Muslim attacks as leaders condemn violence in Edinburgh
‘Hatred has been whipped up and amplified by algorithms and by powerful voices’ - Edinburgh Green MSPs
A series of violent attacks on Edinburgh’s Muslim community which left five injured has sparked fear and outrage across the country, with leaders having warned “there is no place” for such hatred and violence in Scotland.
A 36-year-old man has been charged in connection with the attacks across the city on Friday night. He will appear in court in due course.
Five men, two aged 22, and others aged 24, 27, and 39, were injured in incidents at various locations, including Sighthill, Telford Road and Leith Walk.
Two of those injured were reportedly young worshippers targeted after attending prayers at Broomhouse Mosque. Other reports said victims included an Asian Deliveroo driver and a Muslim taxi driver.
Counter-terrorism police are now investigating. In the aftermath of the attacks, Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said there was "no place for racism or faith-based hate" in Scotland, a sentiment echoed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “horrified” by the violence, which appeared “to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred”, while Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said it was a “shocking” incident and her thoughts are with those who were injured and most directly affected.
Ms Mahmood said she was “grateful” to the police and emergency services for their “bravery in apprehending the suspect and for their speedy response in attending to the victims”.
She added: “There is no place for hatred and violence against Muslims. I know it is not who we are as a country.”
Former First Minister Humza Yousaf has blamed the "mainstreaming" of anti-Muslim hatred for the series of violent attacks. He said the attacks were "frightening but, I am afraid, unsurprising".
He continued: "They have not happened in a vacuum. They are a result of anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia becoming mainstreamed.
"Tommy Robinson, Rupert Lowe and their ilk, aided by sections of the media, have put a target on the backs of Muslims. It is hardly surprising that some people are choosing to act on their words.
"We will get warm words and statements of solidarity from governments, it is not enough. We need concerted action from the office of the Prime Minister setting out how he and the government he leads will protect Muslims who are feeling more and more unsafe in the UK as each day passes.
"It is now time to take on the peddlers of hate, not continue pandering to them."
Edinburgh’s Green MSPs - Lorna Slater, Kate Nevens, Q Manivannan and Kayleigh Kinross-O’Neill - also issued a statement condemning anti-Muslim hatred.
They said: “Nobody should be attacked because of who they are, the colour of their skin, or the faith they follow. Edinburgh is a proudly welcoming and diverse city, shaped by people of different backgrounds, faiths and cultures, and it always will be. The kindness and joy we saw only on Saturday at Pride was a reflection of that.
“Attacks like this do not happen in isolation. They are the result of hatred being allowed to spread and take root.
“The video of the arrest is chilling. The words are the same hateful tropes that have been circulated online, appeared in parts of our media, and increasingly found their way into political debate. It is a hatred that has been whipped up and amplified by algorithms and by powerful voices.
“We all have a responsibility not just to reject it but to challenge it wherever we encounter it. Edinburgh is stronger than hate. We will stand together as a community, united against those who seek to spread fear and division.”
And STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said the series of attacks did not happen by accident. “It is the product of right-wing forces, both in our politics and in our media, whipping people into a false frenzy of hatred and division.
“It is no coincidence that these attacks took place in Edinburgh’s most diverse areas. Scotland is enriched by our tolerance and respect. We cannot allow those who wish to divide us – on race, class, gender, religion and more – to prosper.
“More than ever, politicians need to rise to the occasion and unequivocally stamp out those who spread the poison of racism throughout Scotland.”
Muslim leaders voiced deep alarm and said the attacks had targeted Muslims and members of ethnic minority communities.
Omar Afzal, from the Scottish Association of Mosques, said: "There is a profound sense of shock, alarm and anger within Muslim communities across Edinburgh and Scotland.
“For years, Muslim communities have warned about the consequences of anti-Muslim hatred becoming normalised in public discourse. When prejudice is left unchallenged, it creates an environment in which some individuals feel emboldened to act on that hatred.
“What we are witnessing is targeted hatred spilling over into criminal violence at a time when anti-migrant and anti-Muslim mobilisation is being openly promoted online.
"Extremist groups appear increasingly confident in displaying both their presence and their intentions in public. Muslims across Scotland are reporting growing levels of hostility in their everyday lives.
"Communities are increasingly asking whether enough is being done to confront the underlying drivers of this hatred before it escalates further.
"These incidents should serve as a wake-up call to all of us. The time for treating these incidents as isolated events has passed. Scotland requires a coordinated national strategy to tackle anti-Muslim hatred, address the conditions in which extremism flourishes, and ensure that minority communities can live their lives free from fear."
Edinburgh Interfaith Association, which brings together Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and others, said they were “horrified” at the “senseless” attacks.
“We take great pride in Edinburgh's reputation as a welcoming city where out cultural and religious diversity is our ultimate strength. Because our city enjoys deeply rooted interfaith relationships and friendships, an attack on one community feels like an attack on us all.
“Only last Sunday our diverse faith communities came together to walk for peace, visiting one another's places of worship. We are profoundly saddened that just one week later, along the very route we walked, innocent people were targeted simply because of their faith.
“We must not allow our communities to be divided by those whose only agenda is to spread hatred.”